Washington – A unanimous House agreed late Thursday to immediately spend nearly $1 billion on veterans’ health care in a swift answer to President Bush’s call for lawmakers to plug a politically troubling shortfall.
Lawmakers approved by 419-0 a measure to close a funding gap that was disclosed last week to the surprise of lawmakers who were told unexpected health care demands had eaten a $1 billion hole in the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The GOP’s speedy response did not soften Democratic criticism that Republicans ignored the escalating need until it turned into an emergency.
“This shortfall is the direct result of the failed budget policies and misplaced priorities of the Bush administration and the Republican Congress,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “Republicans here have either been in denial about the plight of our veterans or it simply hasn’t been a priority for them.”
Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, called it “the day-late and dollar-short legislation.”
Republicans responded that the GOP moved within one day to give the VA every penny it requested and that veterans will see no gap in their health care services. Rep. James Walsh, R-N.Y., said annual spending increases show the GOP’s commitment to supporting war veterans.
“Again this year, as we did last year and the year before and the year before and the year before and the year before, the Veterans Administration receives the highest increase of any budget,” he said. “Clearly, year after year, this budget – the Veterans Administration budget – has been our highest priority.”
The House passed the $975 million supplemental spending bill a day after the Senate voted unanimously to give the department an extra $1.5 billion to cover the health care shortfall and more, allowing the VA to carry unused funds into next year. Senators indicated they wanted to stick with their bigger spending package instead of passing the House’s smaller bill.
