U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) called proposed across-the-board budget cuts "a sloppy swath that cuts at the core of the future of America" and warned of the adverse impact on benefits awarded to military veterans.

The House is expected to consider a plan-in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita-to amend the budget levels already in place with spending cuts even deeper than the budget resolution now mandates. This comes only months after the White House appeared to finally be heeding the calls of Rahall, Sen. Robert C. Byrd and others for increased funding for veterans' health care.

"What they decided to give veterans to address acute shortfalls in the 2006 budget, they are now taking away again," Rahall said. "They have pulled the sword out of the heart of patriots with one hand and are thrusting it back in with the other."

Last year, Rahall was joined by a bipartisan group of Representatives in his efforts to increase funding for the Veterans Administration (VA), especially funding for veterans' health services at VA hospitals. Instead of supporting the bipartisan push for more VA funding, the Republican leadership fired their Veterans Committee Chairman and four other Republican committee members who supported the increase in funding.

After the Republican leadership turned away Rahall's efforts to increase funding, the VA found itself in a huge budget shortfall this year. Immediately after the budget shortfall was realized and announced, Rahall and other Democrats introduced legislation to increase funding for the VA. The $1.3 billion increase for 2005 was shot down by a partisan vote on the Rules Committee and was not approved by the full House of Representatives.

Finally, the administration heeded calls for increased funding from both sides of the aisle, and passed a $2 billion budget amendment to address acute shortfalls in the 2006 budget.

"Veterans' health care needs to be treated like the important priority that it is," Rahall said. "In a time when demand for these services is likely to be increasing, budget cuts to veterans' health care budget should not be on the chopping block."

An across-the-board 2 percent reduction to the House-passed discretionary level for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which has been proposed, would mean a reduction of more than $600 million, making shortfalls even worse, according to the American Legion.

"The reality of this is that any cut in funding means a cut in care for our veterans," Rahall said. "Those who have answered the call to duty should be able to rely on the promises of the nation for which they fought. We must live up to our promise and provide needed health care benefits to our returning veterans."

These additional resources are needed to maintain the current services and care for a greater-than-anticipated number of veterans returning from wars in Iraq Afghanistan, Rahall said.

"Everyone in Washington proclaims to be a friend of our veterans, but over the last few years we have seen that many of the folks in the Republican leadership are content with cutting corners on our veterans and short-changing veterans' services," Rahall said. "Making cuts to veterans' health care to ‘offset' costs associated with the war in Iraq and disaster relief makes little sense and I am prepared to fight these cuts tooth-and-nail."

"Our veterans are the heart and soul of this Nation, they have fought to protect our Nation in times of war and times of peace and I firmly believe our Nation must always help protect our veterans in their lives after military service," Rahall said.