Administration News White House Threatens To Veto $118.7B Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill
[Jul 31, 2008]
The White House on Wednesday said that President Bush will veto a $118.7 billion fiscal year 2009 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs appropriations bill (HR 6599) unless Congress finds $2.9 billion in offsets in other appropriations bills to meet the overall spending level he requested, CQ Today reports. In addition, in the event that Congress cannot find the offsets, Bush might veto the other 11 appropriations bills, the White House said. The Military Construction-VA appropriations bill includes $72.2 billion in discretionary spending, an $8.8 billion increase from FY 2008 and $3.4 billion more than President Bush requested (Johnson, CQ Today, 7/30). The bill would provide VA with $47.7 billion in discretionary spending. Under the legislation, VA would receive a $4.6 billion increase in discretionary spending from FY 2008 and $2.9 billion more than Bush requested.
The White House Office of Management and Budget in a letter said, "If Congress determines that additional resources above the president's request are needed, Congress must provide reductions in other appropriations bills to offset this increase and meet the president's top line (discretionary spending cap) of $991.6 billion," adding, "If Congress ... does not offset this increase with spending reductions in other bills, the president will veto any of the other bills that exceed his request until Congress demonstrates a path to reach the president's top line." According to the letter, the current spending level for VA is "104% above the level when the president took office" and "provides ample resources to ensure veterans receive the quality care they deserve" (Sanchez, CongressDaily, 7/30).
Comments
House Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chair Chet Edwards (D-Texas) said, "I do not understand the values that would suggest, during a time of war, we provide tax breaks for people making over $1 million a year, but we cannot afford to provide the health care our veterans deserve and the housing our troops need. I believe our veterans, military families and the American family will be as offended by this veto threat as I am" (CQ Today, 7/30).
A Democratic aide to the House Appropriations Committee said, "This Congress is dedicated to meeting the needs of our nation's veterans, no matter the political maneuvering of a callous president," adding, "Veterans are not political bargaining chips" (CongressDaily, 7/30).
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http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=53627
UPDATE 8/1/08
This was on the Huffington Post claiming Bush did not threaten Veto on this. Your guess is as good as mine.
House set to pass budget bill today before recess
ANDREW TAYLOR August 1, 2008 07:41 AM EST
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WASHINGTON — The House took up its first spending bill Thursday after weeks of delays that have left efforts to pass next year's Cabinet budgets in shambles. The bill is slated to pass on Friday as the House leaves Washington for a five-week recess.
The measure _ one of just a handful that may become law before Congress adjourns for elections _ awards generous increases for veterans medical care and military base construction and base closures. It is easily the most bipartisan of the 12 annual appropriations bills since it funds politically sacred veterans accounts, despite exceeding President Bush's already generous budget increase for veterans and military construction by $3.4 billion.
The measure calls for increasing spending on Veterans Administration health programs by $3.1 billion over current levels, some 9 percent. A $1.8 billion increase for military base construction is 20 percent above current levels. There's also a $2 billion increase in base closure accounts for items such as improving conditions at bases slated for troop increases and assisting states and localities in preparing closed bases for economic development projects and other uses.
Despite the increases, the White House has not threatened a veto, even though Bush has taken pride in clamping down on domestic spending accounts funded by Congress each year and generally has promised to veto bills that exceed his request.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20080801/congress-spending/
