Administration wants to cut funding for food stamps, medical student loans, and taxpayer assistance programs to help clean up privacy data quagmire created by lax security at the VA
Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) released the following statement today after learning of a plan by the White House to cut food stamps, loans for those studying to become medical professionals, and taxpayer assistance programs, in order to pay for credit monitoring services being offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These services are being made available to those veterans whose identity information was compromised by the theft of a VA laptop from the home of a VA employee:
"I agree that credit monitoring services are a critical tool for the tens of millions of veterans and active duty military whose personal information was compromised during the recent mishandling by the VA.
"However, the funding cannot come out of the hands of the most vulnerable, those who depend on vital federal programs. We cannot mask this latest example of the incompetence of the Bush Administration on the backs of hardworking Americans.
"I will continue to stand sentry for our veterans, and will work with my colleagues to find more acceptable solutions to clean up the mess made by the VA. My promises made to our veterans will be promises kept."