Budget Plan Gives VA Big Funding Boost For Veterans Care

Patricia Kime | Marine Corps Times | April 10, 2013

The Veterans Affairs Department does not appear to be feeling the pinch of fiscal austerity in President Obama’s 2014 budget proposal: The White House has proposed a 10.2 percent boost in funding for VA next year, totaling $66.5 billion in discretionary spending.

The $153 billion VA budget request, with a proposed 4.3 percent increase for services including health care, education, employment, transition and claims processing, “keeps faith with veterans,” Obama said in a statement to Congress.

“The budget upholds our solemn obligation to service members and veterans … giving our veterans the benefits, education, and job opportunities that they have earned,” the president wrote.

A significant portion of the $54.6 billion health care budget, $4.1 billion, would go to treat Iraq and Afghanistan veterans; $2.5 billion is marked for prosthetics; and $6.9 billion is for mental health services.