Image credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images
March 03, 2020
Boosting VA funding is not enough to support veterans
Trump’s proposed 2021 budget includes another significant increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs: a 13 percent increase to $90 billion for medical services, another $19.5 billion in other discretionary spending, and $134 billion in mandatory funding for veteran benefits. It’s one of only a handful of agencies with proposed bumps; the others are NASA, Homeland Security, Treasury, and Defense — but none see such significant boosts. Conversely, all other departments have proposed cuts, from a 2 percent cut for Justice to a 37 percent cut for Commerce.
Does this signify Trump supports veterans? Hardly.
We do not transition out of the military and live in veteran-exclusive bubbles. Let’s take a look at some of the ways veterans — along with our fellow Americans — stand to be harmed by these slashes.
Read the full article in The Hill.
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