White House calls for increased Social Security, VA spending in funding patch wish list

As Congress mulls how to avoid a government shutdown, the White House has weighed in with demands to be included in a short-term funding patch. 

Lawmakers are set to return to Washington next week with the main mission of paying for the government by Oct. 1, when funding for the current fiscal year is set to expire. Mostly all on Capitol Hill say a short-term funding bill is needed, but the White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, have different visions for the end product.

Each year, the White House sends out a list of budget “anomalies” — requests when a stopgap funding measure is up for consideration that often include asks for renewing spending authorities or short-term fixes to budget issues.

Typically, the requests are not highly contentious and don’t stir up much of a fight between the administration and Congress.

The White House’s wish list includes a $15.4 billion boost to Social Security’s administrative functions. President Biden requested that for the fiscal 2025 budget to “avoid the lowest staffing levels in more than 50 years during the period” of the impending stopgap.

The administration also wants $12 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs to stymie the effects of an expected budget shortfall next year.

“Without the anomaly, VA would have insufficient funding to maintain medical care operations for veterans through FY 2025,” the White House said. “Absent this funding, VA may need to begin addressing any potential shortfall as early as the first quarter of FY 2025.”

Also in the mix is a separate funding request made by the Office of Management and Budget this summer to provide an additional $4 billion to deal with disaster recovery, including the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Congress hasn’t acted on that supplemental funding request. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Johnson is considering a short-term funding extension that would likely keep spending levels the same as the current fiscal year.

He will meet resistance from Democrats over his legislation to require proof of citizenship to vote, something he’s considering attaching to a stopgap bill. The House passed that measure this summer, but the Democratic-led Senate has not touched it and the White House threatened to veto it.