“Veterans Affairs officials are asking for $270 billion in funding next fiscal year, but it’s billions more in potential spending that raised questions among some lawmakers Tuesday about how large the department’s budget could become in coming years.”
“’The time has come to ask when VA will be adequately funded,’ said Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. ‘Congress must always prioritize veterans. But there is a natural limit to how big any budget can be.'”
“In their recently released budget for fiscal 2022, White House officials asked for a 10 percent increase in VA spending next year. The proposed VA fiscal plus-up comes alongside funding boosts for numerous U.S. departments, but most of them saw flat growth or cuts during the previous presidential administration.”
“If approved, it would be the largest total for the department in history, up almost 53 percent in the last five years alone. In 2001, the entire VA budget amounted to about $45 billion, about six times smaller than the 2022 request.”
“The $270 billion total includes just the base budget, covering issues like mandatory benefits payouts and VA health care operations.”
“On top of that, administration officials are pushing for another $18 billion in spending on hospital upgrades as part of a sweeping $2 trillion infrastructure plan. Another $17 billion was approved earlier this year for VA programs and costs related to the coronavirus pandemic…” Read the full article here.
Source: How big can the Veterans Affairs budget grow? – By Leo Shane III, June 8, 2021. Army Times.
