(Army Times) Editorial: A realistic VA budget

[unhappycamper]

A realistic VA budget

A few years ago, the Bush administration was forced to acknowledge that it was about $3 billion short in funding the Department of Veterans Affairs.

VA had failed to properly plan for the health care needs of a burgeoning number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Making matters worse, the admission came only weeks after VA officials had told Congress they had all the money they needed.

Three years later, it’s worth remembering that incident as the Obama administration prepares to deliver its first budget to Congress.

And just as was the case then, a quartet of major veterans groups — AmVets, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars — is projecting a shortfall in funding for VA.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/community/opinion/army_editorial_va_022309/%2e