The chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), has mixed emotions on the Administration’s proposed VA budget for 2007. He says he is “pleased” it is a top priority but “sobered” by the rate of spending it implies. He predicts in the near future, “VA spending will collide with spending demands made in other areas of government.” Craig disagrees with those who do not think the “record budget” will be adequate to care for global war on terrorism veterans. In fact, he thinks VA should be able to handle this group—some two percent of veterans receiving VA medical care—within its existing medical budget. “We cannot pretend that taxpayer funding of programs that support our nation’s veterans exist in a vacuum.” Craig is already at odds with his House counterpart. Stand by for fireworks.
B-52 Engine, Radar Upgrades Hit New Milestones
Sept. 15, 2026
The Air Force’s program to re-engine the B-52H Stratofortress has moved from its technology maturation and risk reduction phase to engineering and manufacturing development, marking a new milestone in the sweeping overhaul of the Cold War-era bomber, a top official said Sept. 15.
