Veterans Affairs' $1 billion shortfall in health care prompts budget scrum

[The Straight Story]

Veterans Affairs' $1 billion shortfall in health care prompts budget scrum

By Peter Cohn, CongressDaily
The Veterans Affairs Department is facing a $1 billion shortfall for critical healthcare services this year, after an internal review in April found there were insufficient funds to meet current needs, the department revealed Thursday.

Under questioning at a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, department officials told lawmakers that the agency has had to shift $410 million intended for use in fiscal 2006 to meet this year's VA healthcare needs, and also to move another $600 million from maintenance, repairs and equipment accounts to fill the rest of the gap.

Some lawmakers are already calling for emergency supplemental funds to cover this year's costs without dipping into important funding for capital projects. Since the accounting moves create a similar funding gap for next year, discussions are taking place about whether an amended fiscal 2006 budget request might be necessary.

The House has already passed an $85.2 billion Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, so veterans' advocates are looking to the Senate Appropriations Committee to restore the funds.


http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0605/062405cdam1.htm

[Debi]

1. This is not news - Karl Rove is being attacked by Democrats , that's news.

:eyes:

[The Straight Story]

2. sad but true

while we talk about the msm glossing over real news we often do the same ourselves...