“Senate appropriators on Tuesday backed an increase for the Veterans Affairs budget even larger than the boost outlined in President Donald Trump’s request earlier this year, a move that would push the department’s funding closer to the $200 billion mark.”
“The proposed $86.4 billion in discretionary spending for the department in fiscal 2019, approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee’s veterans panel, is 5.7 percent above VA’s fiscal 2018 budget and about $1.1 billion more than what the White House and House lawmakers are eyeing.”
“Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and chairman of the subcommittee, said the extra funding isn’t intended to fill any singular oversight. Rather, the money is spread across a host of priorities…”
“Panel ranking member Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said the proposal also “lays down a marker that we will not privatize care for our veterans at the expense of critical in-house medical services” by boosting both VA health accounts and community care funding…” Read the full article here.
Source: Senators back even bigger boost for next year’s VA budget – By Leo Shane, June 5, 2018. Military Times.
