Biden’s Budget Cuts VA Spending, Increases Funds for Wars in Ukraine and Israel

More than $5.6 billion would come out of the Department of Veterans Affairs, lowering discretionary spending by 4.2 percent.

The Biden administration’s proposed 2025 budget would cut the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) while pushing for increased spending for the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

The budget “prioritizes Veterans’ Mental Health Services and Suicide Prevention for Veterans and Military Servicemembers” by allocating $135 million in suicide prevention programs, a fact sheet said.

The proposal would ultimately cut more than $5.6 billion from the VA’s budget, lowering the department’s discretionary allocation by about 4.2 percent.

The Department of Defense, meanwhile, would get an increase of more than 4 percent to combat threats in Gaza, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific. This would allow the Pentagon to continue record spending despite having never passed an audit.

The budget also calls on Congress to pass the Senate-approved version of the president’s supplemental security spending request. That bill would allocate more than $90 billion in security-related spending for Israel, Ukraine, and the United States’ presence in the Pacific.

The supplemental would spend $3.4 billion on the nation’s Submarine Industrial Base, $14.3 billion to support Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, and $61.4 billion to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

Related Stories

Biden Proposes $7.3 Trillion Budget With Progressive Tax Hikes for Corporations, Billionaires
Biden Set to Unveil His 2025 Budget. Here’s What to Expect
President Joe Biden previously described the mammoth spending package as “a smart investment” that will “pay dividends” to U.S. security interests.
That language has raised the specter of war profiteering. Furthermore, conservatives as well as progressives may deride the administration for aiding foreign militaries while cutting spending on American veterans.

The department, which provides vital health and financial services to U.S. veterans, has been beset by oversight and managerial issues for most of its history.

The proposed budget would expand the toxic chemical fund and provide billions more to the department’s flagging effort to replace its IT infrastructure while making a multi-percentage-point cut across the department.

VA leadership previously said such cuts would happen due to Republican-led spending reductions in last year’s compromise bill to extend the debt ceiling.

Original News Source Link – Epoch Times

Running For Office? Conservative Campaign Consulting – Election Day Strategies!