Sen. Patty Murray pointedly questioned the Department of Veterans Affairs secretary today over the VA’s decision to limit benefits for caregivers of severely injured Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

Family members who leave their careers to take care of an injured combat veteran receive no stipends.

One case in point is Coban Shaw, who has traumatic brain injury from several blasts he suffered while in Iraq. The Grandview resident is completely disabled and depends on his wife, Sara Shaw, to take care of him full time, but she receives no monetary compensation.

Sara Shaw said she’s not confident in Murray, and said her staff wasn’t interested in her story when she contacted them.

A recent caregiver bill adopted into law by Congress isn’t being fully implemented by the VA, and Murray questioned VA Secretary Eric Shinseki during a committee hearing on the VA’s budget, according to a news release from her office.

The VA has imposed strict eligibility requirements, Murray said.

In the release, Murray said she’s concerned over the "VA’s decision to ignore the will of Congress."

"We are hearing from veterans and caregivers from all across the country who fall outside of this new line in the sand that the VA has drawn or who have been left in limbo—and now don’t know if the benefit they have been advocating for will support them," Murray said.

Murray also pointed out that the VA has only set aside a fraction of the funding authorized for the caregiver program.

Shinseki said that all of the funding isn’t being used because of the narrowing of eligibility requirements.

—Phil Ferolito