Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., the ranking member of the VA appropriations subcommittee, said in a statement. "The illusory increases Republicans claim here in fact breaks a bipartisan promise to protect those exposed to burn pits by severely underfunding the Toxic Exposures Fund," Rep. Boosting VA funding and Pentagon funding, as Republicans have also said they want to do, would mean deep cuts to other government agencies that Democrats are unlikely to agree to, making it doubtful the VA spending plan released Tuesday is exactly what will become law.ĭemocrats claimed the GOP plan could, for example, short the funding for benefits meant for veterans sickened by exposure to toxic chemicals. The claim infuriated Republicans, who insisted veterans funding would be safe from cuts while also threatening to retaliate against the VA over the messaging.īut still left unsaid by Republicans is exactly where they plan to find about $130 billion in cuts to government funding. The Biden administration has been arguing the GOP-proposed spending caps would mean a 22% cut to the VA, a number derived from the assumption that Pentagon funding would be spared from cuts while every other department would take an equal cut. The GOP and the Biden administration have been at odds over a bill House Republicans passed last month that would raise the debt ceiling in exchange for capping overall government spending in 2024 at 2022 levels. could default on its debts for the first time. The debt ceiling, which is the amount of money the Treasury Department can borrow in order to pay the nation's bills, is expected to be reached as soon as June 1, at which point the U.S. The release of the VA spending bill came hours before President Joe Biden and congressional leaders were scheduled to have a meeting about what's known as the debt ceiling Tuesday afternoon. "This bill sends a clear message: Our commitment to taking care of our nation's veterans will never waver," they added.
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