HealthCare.gov to Cost Taxpayers More Than $1 Billion

On April 9, 2009, with his Secretary of Department of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki by his side, President Obama said, “As long as I’m commander in chief, I promise that  … when you come home to America, America will be there for you.” True, he has significantly increased VA funding on his watch. This upcoming fiscal year Obama requested a 3% boost for the Veterans Affairs budget. Obama’s fiscal 2015 budget request points out he has increased the VA discretionary budget by 35.2% since 2009.

The question amid this scandal is just how this taxpayer money was spent. “I am amazed this (scandal) is still happening, given the big increase in resources that the department has received,” says Phillip Carter of the Center for a New American Security. Maybe not so amazing when you consider that according to records reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon, the VA has spent $489 million to upgrade conference rooms, buy drapes and purchase office furniture during the past 4½ years.

Read the full article at Forbes.com