VA secretary says Republican-backed amendments to burn pits legislation would lead to 'rationing of care for vets'
CNN
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough on Sunday pushed back against Senate Republicans blocking passage of the administration-backed PACT Act, warning that if the chamber passes GOP senators' proposed amendment to the legislation aimed at providing care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, "we may have to ration care for veterans."
McDonough told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" that a proposed amendment from Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey would put "a year-on-year cap" on what the VA can spend to care for veterans suffering from exposure to burn pits and sunsets the fund after 10 years, telling Tapper, "I can't, in good conscience, do that, because the outcome of that will be rationing of care for vets, which is something I just can't sign on."
"This has been the No. 1 priority for President Biden," McDonough said, touting executive action steps the Biden administration has already taken to remove the burden of proof for veterans seeking care for toxic exposure. "I guess what I'd say is, these folks have waited long enough. Let's just get it done, and also let's not be for a proposal that places artificial caps on year by year, and then functionally, at the end of those 10 years, makes this fund go away. Let's not sign up to that, because at the end of the day, the risk of that is going to be rationing of care to veterans."
The Justice Department’s release of thousands of documents and pictures related to investigations into Jeffrey Epstein on Friday was highly anticipated and provided a glimpse into the life of the late sex offender and his associations with some of the richest and most powerful people in the world.
Jeffrey Epstein survivors are slamming the Justice Department’s partial release of the Epstein files that began last Friday, contending that contrary to what is mandated by law, the department’s disclosures so far have been incomplete and improperly redacted — and challenging for the survivors to navigate as they search for information about their own cases.
President Donald Trump is expected to make an announcement about shipbuilding alongside his Pentagon chief and Navy secretary on Monday, according to a person familiar with the plans.
The Providence mayor wants the Reddit tipster to get a $50,000 FBI reward. It might not be so simple
His detailed tip helped lead investigators to the gunman behind the deadly Brown University shooting – but whether the tipster known only as “John” will ever receive the $50,000 reward offered by the FBI is still an open question.
The Trump administration is removing numerous career ambassadors from their posts abroad, marking the latest shake-up of the US State Department and diplomatic corps.
CNN’s 5 Things AM brings you the news you need to know every morning.
For more than a month, a Virginia high school football coach accused of child pornography offenses has remained missing after vanishing from his home without a trace.
They are still the rarest of Republicans – those who have spoken out and stood up to President Donald Trump over the past year, willfully saying something he rarely hears: No.
The Trump administration has signaled to the Smithsonian Institution that the White House could withhold federal funding from the museum organization if it does not comply with the administration’s unprecedented, sweeping review.
This weekend’s gathering of young Republicans and conservative influencers in the Arizona desert offered a glimpse into the divisions already fraying President Donald Trump’s coalition even before its lame-duck leader is out of the picture.
The US is pursuing a vessel in international waters near Venezuela on Sunday after attempting to intercept it, a US official said, as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens its crackdown on the country’s oil industry.
Power was restored Sunday morning to the bulk of the 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco impacted by a massive outage on Saturday that caused major disruptions in the city.
When Rep. Dan Goldman first ran for Congress in 2022, he was cheered on the left as the party’s top lawyer during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment.