House boosts VA health care budget

VFW Magazine, Sept, 2004 by Tim Dyhouse

A House committee in July proposed shifting billions earmarked for space, science and environmental programs to VA's health care budget. The VA-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, H.R. 2861, provides $30.3 billion, or $1.94 billion more than last year, for VA's Health Administration in fiscal year 2005.

The House Appropriations Committee cut funds from the proposed budgets of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency to pay for veterans health care. At press time, the bill was not expected to be voted on by the full House until after Labor Day.