WASHINGTON — House appropriators have proposed a $182.3 billion budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal 2018, an increase of more than $5 billion over current year levels but still hundreds of millions short of what President Donald Trump has requested.



And the House plan still leaves questions about the future of VA's outside care programs, one of the signature promises of Trump's veterans reform plans.



The appropriations draft — marked up by lawmakers at an evening hearing Monday — calls for $78.6 billion in discretionary spending for next fiscal year. That's almost $400 million less than the White House proposal, which VA officials have hailed as adequate for their needs without being excessive.



Officials from the House Appropriations Committee said the funding plan "will help address many of the problems currently facing the VA, and provide for better and increased access to care for our veterans."



The full committee will vote on the plan Thursday, and potentially make the bill the first appropriations measure advanced to the full chamber this year. It also contains about $10.2 billion for military construction projects, an increase of more than $2 billion from current year levels but still about $200 million less than what the White House requested.



Trump's budget released in late May has left multiple committees months behind the normal Hill budgeting process, raising concerns about when lawmakers may reach a final budget plan.



Democrats on the panel noted that lawmakers still have not agreed on a plan to lift mandatory spending caps on federal funding next year, making Monday night's vote more of a formality than a solid spending plan.



Still, they offered no objections to the measure, which includes $8.4 billion for mental health services, $7.3 billion for homeless veterans programs, and $186 million for suicide prevention initiatives — all levels in line with Trump's request.





The biggest difference between the House and White House plans appears in construction spending, where the administration asked for almost $240 million more. Construction cost overruns have been a target of lawmakers in recent years, and the panel argued the bill "provides the full request for the construction of major medical facilities" as well as certain cemetery expansion projects.

And the measure does not include any money for the expansion of the existing Choice program, which allows veterans to seek medical care outside the VA system at the government’s expense.

Last week, VA Secretary David Shulkin announced the revamped program would be called the Veterans Coordinated Access and Rewarding Experiences program (Vets CARE), but did not details eligibility specifics or costs.

Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., chairman of the committee’s military construction and VA panel, said the Choice overhaul will be handled by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee in coming weeks.

Panel members also included language in their measure which would hold back certain funds for construction projects and a planned electronic medical records update until department officials provide more information about implementation plans.

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On the military construction side, the House bill includes $1.4 billion for military family housing projects, and increase of almost 10 percent from fiscal 2017 levels.

It also has $575 million for Guard and Reserve facilities in 22 states and $757 million for improvements at military medical facilities, doubling spending on those hospitals and clinics.

The legislation includes language blocking any plans to close Guantanamo Bay Naval Station and includes $115 million in funding to build two new barracks for service members there.

Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at lshane@militarytimes.com.