President Barack Obama’s budget proposal will include nearly a 14 percent increase for that part of the VA responsible for attacking a growing backlog of veterans’ disability claims — a problem that officials warned is likely to worsen in coming months.
All told, the Department of Veterans Affairs would see a 4 percent increase, to $63.5 billion, for such items as medical care and research, technology and new construction. That does not include disability, pension and education benefits.
The president is also going to ask Congress, in his budget proposal next week, to make permanent tax credits for employers who hire unemployed veterans. The unemployment rate for veterans who have served since the onset of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was 9.9 percent last year.
About the Author
