www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/06/23/veterans.budget.ap/index.html
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs told Congress that its health care costs grew faster than expected and left a $1 billion ho le in its budget this year, lawmakers said Thursday. House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer, the Republican fr om Indiana, said the department can meet this year's health care costs b y drawing on spare funds and money from other operations, including buil ding construction. But next year's health care budget falls well over $1 billion short, said Sen. "I was on the phone this morning with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim N icholson letting him know that I am not pleased that this has happened," said Craig, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. "This shortfall results from either deliberate misdirection or gross inco mpetence by this administration and the Department of Veteran Affairs," said Sen. The shortage came to light during a routine budget review. Lawmakers said they are still gathering details, but it appears health care for vetera ns returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and poor budget forecasting contr ibuted to the problem. Several Democrats urged the Bush administration to push immediately for a n emergency spending bill to fill this year's $1 billion deficit and pre vent the VA from raiding other operations to pay for health care. Craig said he didn't yet see the need for emergency action but planned to call VA officials to a hearing next week to pin down more precise spend ing figures. "We're going to pound them like hell 'til we get them, then we'll make so me judgments," he said. Murray had urged lawmakers to give the VA an extra $2 billion this spring , while they assembled an $82 billion emergency spending bill on war and homeland security, but the VA said it didn't need any more money.
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