VA-HUD Appropriations:
Subcommittee Ducks Veterans' Issues, But Full Committee Will Get an Earful
By Alex Wayne, CQ Staff       July 21, 2004

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Appropriators avoided substantive debate on the 2005 spending bill for the departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development during a subcommittee markup July 20 after members agreed to hold their amendments. That means Thursday's full committee markup should provide a lively forum for their myriad concerns.

The noise will start at the front door of the meeting room. Veterans' groups, dissatisfied with the bill's proposed $1.5 billion increase in spending on the Veterans Health Administration, plan a public protest to argue for at least $1.3 billion more. Inside, veterans' issues should dominate the debate.

The bill - which also funds several large independent agencies - would provide $92.9 billion in discretionary spending; mandatory accounts bring its total to $128 billion.

The Veterans Health Administration delivers health care to millions of veterans through a network of 157 hospitals and more than 1,000 clinics, nursing homes and other facilities. It is the single most politically popular program in the bill but also a perennial flashpoint for controversy.

That is even more true this year, as Democrats attempt to woo veterans by promising generous improvements to their health care coverage and other benefits.

Republican leaders have responded by cutting spending on other accounts covered by the bill in order to raise spending on veterans' health care. Spending for health care would rise from $26.8 billion to $28.3 billion. The bill also anticipates fee collections of $2 billion. The bill's total appropriation for the Veterans Affairs Department, including mandatory spending, would increase $4.3 billion in 2005, to $68 billion.

Even so, veterans' lobbyists say the health care spending increase is not enough.

"We think we're going to see cuts in services," said Joseph Violante, legislative director for Disabled American Veterans. "It may be subtle at first, but I think our members are going to start feeling it."

Veterans' groups support an amendment to be offered by Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, that would increase veterans' health spending by $1.3 billion. Edwards would pay for it by repealing tax cuts for individuals who make more than $1 million.

Republican Virgil H. Goode Jr. of Virginia, meanwhile, has indicated he may offer an amendment to cut spending on foreign aid by $3 billion and add that money to the VA-HUD bill's total allocation.

Other portions of the bill are attracting attention. Appropriators have proposed decreasing spending on NASA by $229 million from 2004, to $15.1 billion. That figure is $1.1 billion less than President Bush had requested, and would forestall a number of space programs, including Bush's 30-year plan to land humans on the moon and Mars. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said Tuesday that he would not allow a floor vote without increasing spending on NASA.

Housing advocates are disappointed that the bill cuts spending on HUD by $108 million. Spending on the Section 8 rent voucher program would increase by $491 million in 2005, but other HUD programs would be cut an average of 4 percent.

The Appropriations Committee will mark up the bill 10 a.m. Thursday in 2359 Rayburn.