House to VA: Cut The Overhead

Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, opened today's hearing on the VA's proposed $61.5 billion budget by observing in tough times everyone needs to cut back, and pointedly noted he had cut the committee staff by 5 percent as his contribution to the fiscal cause.

Then, with VA Secretary Eric Shinseki sitting right in front of him, Miller complained such costs savings drills have not yet penetrated VA headquarters on Vermont Avenue. Since 2009, the budget for the Office of the Secretary has increased 41 percent and the budget for the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs has grown 50 percent.

A somewhat flustered Shinseki explained that the increases reflected staffing changes he made when he took over at VA. Previous secretaries had staffed their office with detailees from other agencies that picked up the employees' salary tab, Shinseki said.

He decided if someone worked for the VA, then the VA should pay the bills, Shinseki said, with all the deference required of witnesses -- even Cabinet members -- at these hearings.

A less deferential guy probably would have gone back to the shop and decided to save $7.2 million this year -- if Congress ever gets around to passing a budget for 2011-- by shutting down the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs and putting 50 staffers on the street with tin cups or maybe a lemonade stand.