President Donald Trump is seeking just over $93 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs in his budget proposal for 2020, an increase of $6.5 billion from the year before.
The president's request would support the implementation of a bill Trump signed into law last year to give veterans more freedom to see doctors outside the troubled Veterans Affairs system, a major shift aimed at reducing wait times and improving care by steering more patients to the private sector.
An overview of the budget says reducing veteran suicides would be a top priority. The plan also sets aside $4.3 billion for information technology investments to "improve the online interface between the veteran and the department."
Congress will examine the president's recommendations as it considers the overall 2020 government spending blueprint.
