VA Worker Had OK for Data Later Stolen

Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., left, and James Walsh, R-N.Y. talk on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 27, 2006 during a House hearing to discuss the Veterans Administration's data theft. Rep. Walsh chastised the VA for waiting three weeks to notify veterans about the theft, saying "This represents a significant lapse of time that could have been vital to protect identity theft,".(AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson) (Lawrence Jackson - AP)

"They're trying to pin it on this one guy, but I think it's other people we need to be looking at," he said.

A spokesman for the VA did not have immediate comment Wednesday.

Separately, the president asked in a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., for the $160.5 million to help the VA cover the costs of credit monitoring and fraud watch services.

The money would be taken from programs in the departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Labor, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans Affairs whose money would otherwise go unused or from programs previously set for elimination, according to Scott Milburn, spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget.

They include:

_$20 million from food stamp employment and training.

_$40 million from trade adjustment assistance for farmers.

_$6.7 million from health professions student loans.

_$49.1 million from the program, "Responsible Reintegration of Youthful Offenders."

_$9 million from "Next Generation High Speed Rail" program.

_$1.4 million from the Bureau of the Public Debt.

_$5.3 million from the Internal Revenue Service.