Budget Plan Gives VA Big Funding Boost For Veterans Care

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.