Parties Tussle Over Veterans

Many Republicans joined Democrats in increasing the original White House budget proposal for veterans and in exempting veterans programs from an across-the-board 1 percent cut for all federal programs.

Democrats cite Congressional Budget Office figures that conclude spending projections would leave the Veterans Affairs Department $6.2 billion short of what it needs to meet its obligations over the next 10 years.

They also say that cost-cutting proposed by Bush, if fully put in place, would cost force more than 1.4 million veterans to be denied health care or would drop them from the VA health care system.

Funding to run VA health programs has grown an average 7.9 percent a year since 1998, but that is not keeping pace with medical inflation, increased demand and the rising costs of treating an aging veterans population.

VA Secretary Anthony Principi has suspended new enrollments for higher income veterans, which is expected to keep out 164,000 veterans this year. He also has proposed an annual $250 enrollment fee for more affluent veterans and an increase in co-payments for outpatient care.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi announced plans last week to help veterans and those still serving, including $1,000 bonuses for those who served in imminent danger status in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The proposal would provide money to reduce waiting times _ 200,000 veterans now are waiting up to six months for an appointment at VA hospitals--as well improve education opportunities for reservists and offer better benefits for survivors.

Democrats said they would work to change a century-old rule that reduces retirement benefits of disabled veterans by the amount they receive in disability pay. That change has had wide support in Congress but is opposed by the administration because of a price tag of $40 billion over 10 years.

Republicans in the House, in the week leading up to Memorial Day, pushed through bills to make permanent a housing loan guarantee program for reservist veterans and to approve an annual cost of living increase for veterans' benefits.

So Bush cuts benefits and both the GOP and Dems try to make it right.