Senate Pushes Increases for Vets Care

[cal04]

A bill providing major increases for medical care for veterans of Iraq and other wars is cruising through the Senate, even though it busts President Bush's budget by $4 billion.

The Senate is scheduled to pass the measure Thursday, rewarding the Veterans Affairs Department with an almost 10 percent budget increase for its health care accounts.

The bill adds to Bush's already whopping increase for construction projects at military bases and other Defense Department facilities, including domestic bases that are being expanded to accept troops now stationed in Germany and South Korea.

The White House has backed off a veto threat issued in May, though it still says the measure — providing $65 billion in funds provided at lawmakers' discretion and $41 billion in veterans disability benefits — would spend too much.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070905/ap_on_go_co/congress_spending_6

[pwb]

1. good they deserve it.