If the two new chairmen of the Veterans’ Affairs Committees have their way, VA will get more money—and perhaps a completed spending bill. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) plans to justify a funding level increase as “a cost of war.” In a joint statement, Akaka explained that he doesn’t want Congressional VA committees to have to “stand in line with other committees for whatever is there in the treasury.” The statement notes that VA was in store for a $3 billion plus up for Fiscal 2007, but Congress failed to finalize the agency’s spending bill.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.