Democratic lawmakers reacted with skepticism Tuesday to President Bush's new proposals to aid the families of military personnel and veterans, noting that his administration has repeatedly underfunded the Veterans Affairs Department (VA).

In his State of the Union address Jan. 28, Bush proposed a series of measures intended to help military families, including the creation of hiring preferences for the spouses of military personnel and legislation to allow servicemembers to pass on unused GI Bill educational benefits to their spouses and children.

"They endure sleepless nights and the daily struggle of providing for children while a loved one is serving far from home," Bush said of military families. "We have a responsibility to provide for them."

The president also called for expanding military families' access to child care.

Democrats and some veterans' advocates sharply criticized the proposals, which they said came after years of lean administration budget requests for the VA and military personnel.

"The difficulty . . . that we've had on this issue is that the budgets for Iraq have sucked out all the air," said Susan A. Davis, D-Calif., chairwoman of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee. "Families have not been nearly as high a priority as they should be. Maybe that'll change. I doubt it."

Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the GI Bill proposal would come as "a slap in the face" to newly returning veterans if it is not accompanied by broader improvements, which have proved difficult to advance in Congress because of administration opposition and tight budgets.

Bush asserted that VA funding had increased by more than 95 percent since he had taken office - another suggestion met with barbs from Democrats.

"He didn't tell them that his budget proposals have repeatedly cut funding for veterans, and that the only reason spending on veterans' programs has increased is because Congress raised the level of spending," said Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Bush is set to unveil his budget proposal Feb. 4.

Lawmakers already have begun to push for funding of their priorities. Akaka and Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., sent a letter on Jan. 25 asking new VA Secretary James B. Peake for increased funding for the VA's National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, which they said had to cut staff in recent years because of insufficient resources.

Bush also will have to include funding to enact proposed recommendations of a presidential commission on "wounded warriors" led by former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan. (1969-96), and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.

In his address, Bush called on Congress to pass the remaining recommendations of the commission, including a major overhaul of the veterans' disability benefits system.