House OKs $90B for Veterans, Housing

[Rose Siding]

House OKs $90B for Veterans, Housing

WASHINGTON -- The House approved a $90 billion measure for veterans, housing and other programs for next year on Friday after Republican leaders overcame complaints that the measure would shortchange veterans' health care.

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The "yes" tally was fed by the measure's pile of more than 1,000 home-district projects, including $300,000 to renovate the Strand Theatre in Moundsville, W.Va., and $4.5 million for a science center at St. Bonaventure University in New York. Amid unrest over the veterans money, top House Republicans reminded lawmakers about their projects as they nailed down the votes for final passage, said several legislators on condition of anonymity.

Backed by veterans groups, a phalanx of lawmakers of both parties tried to derail the bill, which contains $25.7 billion in new spending for veterans' health care.

That was the same that President Bush had proposed and $1.3 billion over this year's total. But critics said it was $1.8 billion below what the GOP-led Congress had promised in its nonbinding budget in April, and would leave thousands of veterans waiting six months or longer for treatment and beds.

"You can get awfully sick and awfully diseased waiting that long to get health care," said Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, a leader of the opposition.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-congress-spending,0,3010588.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

a related story-

Firefighting Money Cut From Spending Bill

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-congress-spending-wildfires,0,3562487.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[HawkerHurricane]

1. Why am I not surprised?

Billions to invade Iraq, not one cent for those crippled doing it. :grr: