The full House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved the first of 12 annual spending bills for 2014, a $73.3 billion measure funding military construction and veterans affairs programs.
The bill is the least controversial of the 12 annual bills and, reflecting that, it was approved on a voice vote.
The bill increases spending by $1.4 billion above the enact 2013 level. This comes out to about $2.4 billion more in spending compared to the post-sequestration level the government is currently operating on after automatic cuts came into effect on March 1.
Democrats supported the bill but were adamantly opposed to an overall 2014 spending plan for all 12 bills that the GOP majority also adopted at the same markup.That plan has deep cuts to social programs to pay for increased defense spending.
The veterans affairs bills makes an attempt to address an embarrassing backlog in veterans benefits claims.
It supports an increase of 94 claims processor and requires the VA to report monthly to Congress on the backlog.
“They may as well get ready to be constantly harassed and frankly starved moneywise until they get this right,” committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said.
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who is running for Senate, offered an amendment to cut claims processor pay by 25 percent if a 25 percent reduction in the claims backlog is not reduced 180 days after Oct. 1. He withdrew the amendment but committee leaders promised to work with him on the proposal as the bill comes to the House floor in early June.
Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), whose district contains a huge number of federal workers, offered an amendment to end the three year pay freeze for federal workers covered by the bill. The amendment was defeated on a 23 to 25 vote with Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) voting with Democrats.