Inside the bad blood between President Trump and Richard Blumenthal

One of President Donald Trump's recent Twitter targets has been Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., with the president recently reviving a controversy involving Blumenthal's military service. Blumenthal's career started in law and then merged into government and public service, but his familial ties put his relatives in Trump's real estate orbit.

Congressional candidate releases documents on Rep. Palazzo’s military record

Congressional candidate E Brian Rose says Steven Palazzo fraudulently sought deferments to avoid serving in Iraq. #2018@wlox pic.twitter.com/XDcCUCLWhS Rose provided previously unreleased documents and information regarding Palazzo's service, saying Steven Palazzo sought special favors to be assigned duty at Camp Shelby, rather than be sent to Iraq with the 155th battalion in 2004.

Congress OKs Big Boost in GI Bill College Aid for Veterans

Congress sent President Donald Trump legislation to provide the biggest expansion of college aid for military veterans in a decade. The Senate cleared the bill by voice vote on Wednesday, passing the second piece of legislation aimed at addressing urgent problems at the beleaguered Department of Veterans Affairs in as many days.

Continue reading Congress OKs boost in GI Bill college aid for veterans

Congress sent President Donald Trump legislation to provide the biggest expansion of college aid for military veterans in a decade. The Senate cleared the bill by voice vote on Wednesday, passing the second piece of legislation aimed at addressing urgent problems at the beleaguered Department of Veterans Affairs in as many days.

Senate OKs bills to address VA budget crisis, claims backlog

The Senate approved a pair of bills Tuesday taking aim at urgent problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, clearing a $3.9 billion emergency spending package to fix a looming budget crisis and adopting new measures to pare down a rapidly growing backlog of veterans' disability claims. The spending package provides $2.1 billion to continue funding the Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans to receive private medical care at government expense.

House moves to extend choice program, end VA budget crisis

The House overwhelmingly approved a $3.9 billion emergency spending package to address a budget shortfall at the Department of Veterans Affairs that threatens medical care for thousands of veterans. The bill provides $2.1 billion to continue funding the Veterans Choice program, which allows veterans to receive private medical care at government expense.

House Moves to Fill VA’s Budget Gap Despite Vets’ Objections

The Republican-led House is moving to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to shift $2 billion from other programs to cover a sudden budget shortfall in its Choice program of private-sector care. But the plan was meeting resistance from many Democrats following stiff protests from veterans' groups.

Marijuana supporters find an ally in veterans

The Trump administration's attack on legal marijuana, already stymied by large states determined not to roll back the clock, is increasingly confronting an even more politically potent adversary: military veterans. Frustrated by federal laws restricting their access to a drug many already rely on to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and opioid addiction, veterans have become an influential lobbying force in the marijuana debate after sitting on the sidelines for years.

House unveils plan to fix VA’s budget gap as deadline looms

In this June 21, 2013, file photo, the seal affixed to the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington. A House committee unveiled a disputed plan July 21, 2017, to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to shift $2 billion from other programs to cover a sudden budget shortfall that could threaten medical care for thousands of patients in the coming weeks.

Cancer isn’t silencing McCain in career’s latest chapter

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., arrives at the Senate for final votes of the week on the day after Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was diagnosed with an aggressive type of brain cancer, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 20, 2017. Sen. Graham, McCain's closest friend in the Senate, said that they had spoken by telephone Wednesday night and that the diagnosis had been a shock to McCain.

Senators begin negotiations on new VA Choice Program

Members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee gained feedback this week about three draft proposals to reform how and when veterans seek private-sector health care, setting the stage for negotiations between Democrats and Republicans on what might be the biggest task for the committee this year. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., the chairman of the committee, said an "amazing amount" has been accomplished so far this session and he contributed it to an amendable relationship between Republicans and Democrats on the committee.

Lawmakers reach initial deal to expand GI education bill

President Donald Trump arrived in Paris Thursday hoping to convince wary European allies that the door to working closely with his administration is not closed, despite diverging policy views on a number of key... President Donald Trump arrived in Paris Thursday hoping to convince wary European allies that the door to working closely with his administration is not closed, despite diverging policy views on a number of key issues. AP-NORC Poll: Three-quarters of people in the U.S. feel they have too little influence in Washington, while most say lobbyists, rich people and big businesses have too much.