In the final negotiations before passage of the House Republican budget, America's veterans won significant funding increases for FY 2004.

    Rep. Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee credited Budget Chairman Jim Nussle with working through the 11th hour to ensure that veterans health care programs would be increased and funding for veterans benefits, including compensation for service-connected disabled veterans, would be held harmless from any across-the-board spending reductions. 

        "After further discussions with Chairman Nussle and the leadership, I am pleased that we have reached agreement so that this year’s budget will raise funding for veterans' health care by at least $1.8 billion over the Administration's request for FY 04," Smith said.  

    "Furthermore, it will allow us to fully meet our commitments to more than 2.6 million disabled veterans and widows who rely on VA benefit checks every month.  There will be no cut in veterans’ benefits as first proposed," Smith said. 

    Smith said the final agreement came in a letter from Chairman Nussle who gave his word to meet at a minimum the spending levels already adopted by the Senate Budget Committee once House and Senate budget negotiators meet in conference.  The Senate budget provides a 12.9% increase over this year's funding level for veterans' health benefits -- the highest spending ever in this area. 

    Nussle's letter read in part: "In the Conference with the Senate, I will accept a level of discretionary and mandatory spending for veterans programs as high as reported by the Senate Budget Committee."