Veterans sound alarm on McCarthy budget cuts
by Brad Dress - 04/27/23 6:08 PM ET
Veterans are blasting the debt ceiling legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House this week, warning it will cut key programs and services for the nation’s retired service members.
The House passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act largely along party lines in a 217-215 vote Wednesday night despite the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) warning of a drastic 22 percent cut to the department’s budget under the bill.
The legislation, which is unlikely to pass a Democrat-controlled Senate and is opposed by President Biden, caps all new spending at fiscal 2022 levels, amounting to a $130 billion cut to non-defense spending across federal agencies, which would include the VA.
According to a VA press release, that would mean 81,000 jobs lost in the department’s health services, 30 million fewer outpatient visits for veterans and an increase of disability backlogs by 134,000 claims, among a range of other concerns.
Sarah Streyder, the executive director of the nonpartisan group Secure Families Initiative — which represents active-duty families but coordinates closely with the VA for client services — said there are already backlogs and waitlists at the VA that would be further exacerbated by the GOP budget proposal.
Streyder said whether the bill passes or not, the “harm is already being done” and the legislation is a “huge ding in morale” for the military, service members and veterans.
more
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/3976425-veterans-sound-alarm-on-mccarthy-budget-cuts/
