House OKs Veterans Health Funds

A unanimous House agreed late Thursday to immediately provide nearly $1 billion in supplemental funding for veterans healthcare in a swift answer to the White House call for lawmakers to plug a politically embarrassing shortfall.

The House voted 419 to 0 to approve a measure to close the funding gap that was disclosed last week to lawmakers. The head of the Veterans Affairs Department testified that unexpected healthcare demands from the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan had eaten a hole in the department’s budget.

The response from the GOP-dominated Congress and the White House did not soften Democratic criticism that Republicans had ignored the escalating need until it became an emergency.

“This shortfall is the direct result of the failed budget policies and misplaced priorities of the Bush administration and the Republican Congress,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said. “Republicans here have either been in denial about the plight of our veterans or it simply hasn’t been a priority for them.”

Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) called it “the day-late and dollar-short legislation.”

Republicans responded that the GOP moved quickly to give the department additional funds and that veterans would see no gap in their healthcare services.

Rep. James T. Walsh (R-N.Y.) said annual spending increases showed the GOP’s commitment to war veterans.

“Again this year, as we did last year and the year before and the year before and the year before and the year before, the Veterans Administration receives that highest increase of any budget,” Walsh said, referring to the department by its old name.

The House passed the $975-million supplemental spending bill a day after the Senate voted unanimously to give the department an extra $1.5 billion to cover the healthcare shortfall and more, allowing the department to carry unused funds into next year.

Senators indicated that they wanted to stick with their bigger spending package instead of passing the House’s smaller bill.

“The Senate acted unanimously yesterday,” said Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho). “To do anything less than what we did yesterday would be inadequate.”

Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) said, “The House, instead of agreeing with us and putting the dollars to work where they are so needed, has decided to take a major step backwards.”

The department would not get any additional funds until the House and Senate reconciled their bills.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson faced testy lawmakers earlier Thursday over the funding shortfall.

He said his department underestimated the large number of wounded troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The secretary also said he needed more money to cover veterans’ dependents, long-term care, energy costs and rising demand from veterans of other combat eras.

Nicholson informed lawmakers last week that faster-than-expected growth in healthcare demand had left the department about $1 billion short this year. But he assured them that he had the problem in hand. By rearranging funds in its maintenance accounts and using a budgetary cushion, Nicholson said the department could satisfactorily manage the problem without extra money, but that solution was rejected.

“It is clear that many members of Congress and veterans groups continue to have concerns,” Nicholson said.

Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.) said: “The Department of Veterans Affairs deliberately withheld information on the costs of veterans’ healthcare.”

Rep. Bob Filner (D- San Diego) told Nicholson that he should resign.