WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is on track to get a nearly 10% boost in funding next fiscal year, with large increases for medical center construction projects and caregiver program support.
The proposed budget includes $24.5 billion for the Toxic Exposures Fund to cover costs associated with implementing the 2022 PACT Act.
However, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost said Thursday he's not happy with how the VA is spending the taxpayer dollars that Congress provides.
"The overall requested increase is large, but a lot of the money seems to be in the wrong places," he said.
Bost pointed to the budget's more than 10,000 employee decrease from 2024, with most of the workforce reduction coming from the Veterans Health Administration.
"There is a real problem here. Somehow, despite the nearly $17 billion increase this year and the $33 billion request for next year, the second largest federal agency can barely keep the lights on," Bost added.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough defended his department's performance, noting that last year, the VA enrolled more than 400,000 new vets into the VA health care system: a 30% increase over the prior year.
"We're delivering more care and more benefits to more veterans than at any time in VA's history," he said.
Lawmakers will continue to debate the VA's $369.3 billion budget proposal in the months ahead, with the aim of approving final authorization and appropriations bills ahead of the October 1 start of the new fiscal year.
Other highlights of the VA budget request include a 6% increase in mental health care spending, healthcare programs specific to women veterans would increase by 11%, and homelessness prevention programs would see a 3% increase.