The House voted to reverse many of the cuts to veterans’ benefits in a budget deal struck less than two months ago today, offsetting the spending increase with planned “sequester” cuts in 2024 – five election cycles from now.
Speaker John Boehner had planned to tack the measure to the debt ceiling vote, but abruptly reversed course this morning, bringing the proposal in a stand-alone bill that was brought under suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority.
The bill passed 360-90, with 206 Republicans voting “yes” and 120 Democrats voting “yes.”
The Senate is considering its own package to reverse the cuts. Earlier today, Democrats killed a proposal from New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte to pay for the spending increase by reducing fraudulent unemployment benefits for illegal aliens.