Bush urges Congress to pass veterans spending bill

President Bush said Saturday that Congress’ Democratic leaders should celebrate Veterans Day by passing a spending bill covering programs for veterans.

“Congressional leaders let the fiscal year end without passing this bill they know our veterans need,” Bush said in his weekly radio address. “The time to act is running out. . . . The best way members of Congress can give thanks to our veterans is to send me a clean bill that I can sign into law.”

Bush’s dig at Democrats didn’t tell the whole story.

Congress has never delivered to Bush a veterans spending bill by Veterans Day, even when Capitol Hill was run by Republicans.

And even veterans groups have been reluctant to criticize this year’s Congress for the delay because of large Democratic-engineered budget increases. About $3.4 billion was added to the veterans budget in February and $1.8 billion in May.

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) touted his party’s commitment to veterans.

“Democrats in Congress are working together with the president to see that veterans aging and young and their families receive the benefits they need and deserve,” he said, delivering the weekly radio address for Democrats.

The veterans bill has gotten caught up in a larger battle between the White House and Congress over Democratic efforts to add about $23 billion for domestic programs to Bush’s $933-billion proposal for all agency budgets.

Only late last week did Congress approve the first two of 12 spending bills for the budget year that began Oct. 1.

Democrats had sought to combine the veterans spending measure with ones for education, health and job-training programs to force passage of increases for the other programs.

But Bush has insisted that the veterans money come to him in a stand-alone bill, and the veterans portion was stripped from the larger legislation this week, leaving that funding in limbo.

The veterans bill adds $3.7 billion over Bush’s request for the Veterans Affairs Department’s budget. The increase would ease waiting times to claim health benefits and add money to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

In a letter to Bush on Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the Democratic Congress wanted to work with him.

“Key to this dialogue, however, is some willingness on your part to actually find common ground,” they wrote. “Thus far, we have seen only a hard line drawn and a demand that we send only legislation that reflects your cuts to critical priorities of the American people.”

Bush urged the public to celebrate Veterans Day today by reflecting on the service of members of the armed forces.

“They come from different generations and different backgrounds,” he said. “But they are united by a commitment to honor, duty and love of country that has kept America free. They continue to strengthen and inspire our nation. And we will never forget what we owe them.”

The White House is planning an event today during which the president will honor veterans, spokesman Gordon D. Johndroe said from Texas, where Bush is spending the weekend at his ranch. Johndroe declined to discuss details of the event.