Veterans health-care spending will not be cut

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Subject: Veterans’ health-care spending will not be cut

 
Veterans’ health-care spending will not be cut

By Rick Maze
NavyTimes staff writer
December 15, 2005

In a continuing war of words over spending on veterans’ programs, the top Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee accused his Democratic counterpart of trying to scare veterans with predictions of health-care budget cuts.

On Wednesday, Rep. Lane Evans of Illinois, the committee’s ranking Democrat, said House Republicans were preparing a 1 percent across-the-board cut in federal spending that would amount to giving veterans a lump of coal for Christmas because it would reduce spending on their health care and benefits.

Today, Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., the Veterans’ Committee chairman, said Evans was wrong. “An attempt to pull a prank and scare this nation’s 25 million veterans backfired,” says a statement issued by Buyer’s staff. Evans’ claim that Republicans leaders were planning to cut health-care funding “is patently false,” the statement said.

“There will be no cuts to veterans’ health care,” Buyer said in the statement, issued after he discussed proposed budget cuts with House leaders. If any budget cuts are ordered to pay for hurricane relief, Buyer said, there would be an exemption for veterans’ programs.“ This holiday season, the only lump of coal that will be delivered is to those who seek to play politics with the men and women who have served this country.” Buyer said.

“America has kept faith with its veterans and we will continue to do so, no matter what time of year it is.” At the time he made his statement, Evans appeared to have been correct. House Republican leaders do intend to ask for a 1 percent across-the-board cut in federal spending to help pay for hurricane relief.

But on Thursday morning — after Evans released his statement but before Buyer released his — a decision was made to exempt some programs.  Veterans’ spending, and probably the defense budget as well, will be spared reductions under the current plan, although leadership aides said that could still change.
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Contributed,
YNCS Don Harribine, USN(ret)