May 28, 2004.  On the eve of the Memorial Day weekend, DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe, joined by several veterans, held a press conference to charge that President Bush will cut the VA budget by nearly $1 billion if he is re-elected.  The basis for this claim was an OMB memo reported by the Washington Post on May 27.  "Budget Procedures Memorandum No. 870" states that, "Continuing the strategy of last year's Budget, the 2006 Budget will constrain discretionary and mandatory spending while supporting national priorities: winning the war on terror, protecting the homeland, and strengthening the economy."  The DNC handed out a three-pager documenting "The Bush Record: Years of Broken Commitments (With More to Come)" The DNC also ran an Internet ad on its website on this subject.
	Meanwhile, outside DNC headquarters two RNC staffers handed out a page titled "The Truth About VA Funding: John Kerry and President Bush."  The page criticized Kerry for several votes and cited ways in which "President Bush is Delivering for Veterans."

Copyright © 2004 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.