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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (24366)	6/27/2005 12:12:09 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 361353

Support the troops?... Senators see red over Veterans Affairs $1 billion shortfall By Mary Dalrymple The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs has told Congress its health-care costs grew faster than expected and left a $1 billion hole in its budget this year, lawmakers say. House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer, R-Ind., said Thursday the department can meet this year's health-care costs by drawing on spare funds and money from other operations, including construction. Yet next year's health-care budget falls more than $1 billion short, said Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho. "I was on the phone this morning with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson letting him know that I am not pleased that this has happened," said Craig, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said, "This shortfall results from either deliberate misdirection or gross incompetence by this administration and the Department of Veteran Affairs." The shortage came to light during a routine budget review. Lawmakers said they still are gathering details, but it appears health care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and poor budget forecasting contributed to the problem. Several Democrats urged the Bush administration to push immediately for an emergency spending bill to fill this year's $1 billion deficit. Craig said he didn't see the need for emergency action but planned to call VA officials to a hearing this week to pin down more precise spending figures. "We're going to pound them like hell 'til we get them, then we'll make some judgments," he said. Murray, a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee, had urged lawmakers to give the VA an extra $2 billion this spring while they assembled an $82 billion emergency-spending bill on war and homeland security, but the VA said it didn't need any more money. seattletimes.nwsource.com