VA Budget: What's Missing Here?

I confess to not being a budget wonk. So, maybe there's an explanation for this. According to Fox, one of the things Obama is touting with his budget is:

Veterans Affairs

 · Record funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs; the Budget builds on the historic increase in funding for the VA with a 20 percent total increase since 2009.

· $50.6 billion in advance appropriations for the VA medical care program so that care for the Nation's veterans is not hindered by budget delays.

Note the 2009 number. Yet, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, VA funding is actually being reduced. Bush was blasted for reducing VA funding in 2004.

Agency: Veterans Affairs

Spending: $121.7 billion

Percentage change from 2010: 2.6 percent decrease

Mandatory Spending: $64.7 billion

Last year Obama was touting VA increases over the next five years. I realize they make budgeting complex - in part so it isn't easily understood. But as regards the VA, at least on the surface, the hype doesn't appear to be matching the reality. If there's an explanation, it might be good to understand what it is.

The 2010 budget represents the first step toward increasing funding for VA efforts by $25 billion over baseline during the next five years. The gradual expansion in health care enrollment that this would support will open hospital and clinic doors to more than 500,000 Veterans by 2013 who have been regrettably excluded from VA medical care benefits since 2003. The 2010 budget request provides the resources to achieve this level of service while maintaining high quality and timely care for lower-income and service-disabled Veterans who currently rely on VA medical care.

Comments

[Anita]

According to Fox, one of the things Obama is touting with his budget is: Veterans Affairs

Hmm, they have layers of editors to check - only to FAIL in Accurately "reporting". Such is the case on many occasions, lately & sadly.

[Old Trooper]

Roughly over 800K VA Claims backlog for Service Connected Disabilities.
No COLA increase for VA Pensions.

Yeah, keep workin on it Boss!