Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, says the savings in President Bush’s Fiscal 2008 budget request are essentially the result of creative accounting—it puts veterans, retirees, students, and families as well as the environment at a disadvantage while failing to account for comprehensive war costs in Iraq. He also said he’s worried that the requested six percent increase—approximately $34.2 billion—for the VA health care system is “far from adequate” once inflationary costs are subtracted. On the other hand, Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), ranking committee member, says he thinks the budget makes it clear that President Bush is making veterans a top priority. If the budget is approved, he says, it will amount to a “stunning” 77 percent increase in VA program funding since the President took office. (The entire VA budget request for 2008 is $86.8 billion.)
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
