Friday's proposal by the House Veterans Affairs Committee would provide a six-month funding fix to the department's Choice program, which offers veterans federally paid medical care outside the VA and is a priority of President Donald Trump. At least six veterans' organizations, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, immediately announced their opposition to the House plan. Joe Chenelly, executive director of AMVETS, warned that the House plan would set a dangerous precedent by "cannibalizing" VA services to pay for outside care. Shulkin announced the budget shortfall last month, citing unexpected demand from veterans for private care as well as poor budget planning. To slow spending, the department last month instructed VA medical centers to limit the number of veterans it sent to private doctors.

Source: Fox News July 22, 2017 15:00 UTC