Jon Stewart joined members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday to support legislation taking care of American veterans suffering serious medical problems after toxic burn pit exposure.
At What Point Does VA Become Adequately Funded? Republicans Question Record Budget Request
In this image from video, Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, April 23, 2020. (House Television via AP)
27 May 2021
Republican lawmakers are concerned about the Department of Veterans Affairs ballooning budget and question the agency s need for yet another huge funding boost, given it has already received $36 billion in pandemic supplements.
The VA is the second-largest federal agency and a complex organization. Its budget has expanded significantly since 9/11. In 2000, the agency s budget was $47 billion; this year, it is $240 billion. With that funding, it provides health care to nine million patients, administers the GI Bill, and facilitates a popular home loan program for veterans.
“I just want to make sure everybody understands this is not a surprise to the United States government,” Jon Stewart said, pointing to recent reports that the Department of Defense and the VA had already drawn up lists of illnesses they expected would impact soldiers.
In a newly released report, the inspector general at the Department of Veterans Affairs indicates that the $16 billion estimate for the switch to the Cerner electronic health record system doesn t incorporate billions in needed physical infrastructure costs.