'Dishonest and shameless': House GOP blasts White House over claims they would cut VA benefits

Ken Tran, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Virginia Republican and Navy veteran, is leading a fight against the White House and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to dispute a claim first exclusively reported by USA TODAY that the recently passed GOP debt ceiling plan would cut health benefits for veterans.

Kiggans and more than 50 House Republicans sent a letter Thursday to U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, saying the allegations that their bill threatens veterans' health care are "dishonest and shameless."

“The leaders of the Congressional bodies that oversee and fund the VA have all firmly stated that veterans’ earned care and benefits are not on the table. The VA purposely chose to ignore these facts in favor of baseless political talking points,” the group of House Republicans wrote.

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Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., speaks during a press conference in front of the U.S.-Mexico border south of Sierra Vista on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, in Hereford.
Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., speaks during a press conference in front of the U.S.-Mexico border south of Sierra Vista on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, in Hereford.

White House argues House Republican debt ceiling plan would drastically cut veterans' health benefits

After House Republicans passed their own debt ceiling plan tying $4.5 trillion in spending cuts to raise the debt limit until 2024, the White House slammed the legislation for not explicitly protecting veterans’ health benefits.

The White House also released specific numbers behind their claims and alleged the legislation would cut 81,000 Veterans Affairs jobs, reduce Veterans Affairs outpatient visits by 30,000 and increase the disability backlog of veterans by 134,000.

“These draconian cuts to America’s veterans have no precedent in America’s history,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said. "And prioritizing tax welfare for wealthy special interests over honoring our commitments to those who have put their lives on the line for our country is as backwards as politics gets.”

The House GOP-led debt ceiling proposal does not go out of its way to target veterans’ health care benefits, but would roll back government spending levels in fiscal year 2024 to what it was in 2022.

Previous coverage: White House says GOP debt ceiling plan would cause largest VA benefits cuts in US history

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough speaks during the Joining Forces Military Kids Workout on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough speaks during the Joining Forces Military Kids Workout on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Saturday, April 29, 2023.

House Republicans accuse White House of using 'baseless political talking points'

For their part, House Republican leaders have said any cut to veterans spending is off the table and the letter accuses the White House of ignoring their promises in favor of “baseless political talking points.”

“Many members of Congress are deeply troubled and personally offended that the Biden Administration continues to use these dishonest talking points to create panic and fear in our veteran populations,” the letter continues.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, April 28, 2023.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, April 28, 2023.

What does the House GOP debt ceiling plan cut?

The bill does not specify how Congress will approach discretionary spending – spending for programs that must be authorized every year including some veterans’ health care benefits.

The legislation outlines that Congress would have to later determine how to allocate almost $1.5 trillion in discretionary spending which could prove tricky for House Republicans who have vowed to not cut either defense or veterans spending – it is unclear what other programs House Republicans could be willing to cut.

'Terrible idea': A debt ceiling back-up plan? GOP lawmakers shoot down idea of a short-term extension

A group of Senate Republicans hold a news conference to urge the White House and Senate Democrats to pass the House GOP legislation that would raise the debt limit and cut federal spending outside the U.S. Capitol on May 03, 2023 in Washington, DC.
A group of Senate Republicans hold a news conference to urge the White House and Senate Democrats to pass the House GOP legislation that would raise the debt limit and cut federal spending outside the U.S. Capitol on May 03, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Contributing: Joey Garrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House GOP slams White House, VA secretary over debt ceiling bill