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For years, federal spending on the military and veterans affairs seemed nearly as sacrosanct as Social Security. But with some House Republicans now talking about cutting the Pentagon budget, veterans groups have grown nervous that the Department of Veterans Affairs will be next. And so today, a number of groups took preemptive action, vigorously blasting a proposal for V.A. budget cuts that came from a Tea Party leader, Representative Michele Bachmann, Republican of Minnesota.

The veterans groups were responding to a plan recently posted on Representative Bachmann’s congressional Web site to cut federal spending by $400 billion. The plan calls for deep cuts to just about every federal agency, and veterans affairs is not spared: She proposed lopping $4.5 billion from its annual $125 billion budget, including by capping increases to health care spending for veterans and reducing some disability compensation.

The first group to respond was Veterans for Common Sense. In a message to its membership this week, the group called the proposal “outrageous” because 10,000 new veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are flowing into the veterans health system each month.

“You can’t cut when demand is rising,” said Paul Sullivan, the group’s executive director.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, the oldest and largest of the groups, followed soon after, releasing a statement from its national commander, Richard L. Eubank, saying: “No way, no how, will we let this proposal get any traction in Congress.”

Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, posted an Army Times article about the brouhaha on his Facebook page under the words, “Oh hell no!”

Before the day was over, groups like the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and AMVETS also chimed in.

In a statement in the Saint Cloud Times, the congresswoman, who founded the Tea Party caucus in Congress and is considering running for president, said the proposal was intended to generate discussion. “Instead of making it easier for Washington to spend more of your tax dollars, I’m calling for Congress to do the hard work of making real and necessary cuts in federal spending,” she said.

Veterans groups had been bracing for a fight over budget cuts to veterans affairs and are expecting more to come. Some House Republicans have also proposed privatizing some veterans services, an idea many groups are likely to oppose.

Though the veterans groups are nonpartisan, their membership is widely thought to be heavily Republican, and so the fierce attack on a Republican presidential hopeful was not inconsequential. Not surprisingly, Democrats piled on.

“We have to have an aggressive, long-term plan to tackle our nation’s debt, but attempting to balance the budget on the backs of veterans who have risked life and limb in service of our country is unacceptable,” said Representative Tim Waltz, a Democrat from Minnesota and a veteran himself.

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A group of Seventh-Day Adventists will pray for bipartisanship Wednesday on Capitol Hill, the latest call for prayer to become a bigger part of politics. The group is appealing to President Obama and Congress to use prayer in any strategy for battling unemployment rates among homeless and disenfranchised veterans. The group believes that the power [...]

Elected officials and other notables marked Veterans Day all around the world on Thursday, with President Obama making an appearance in South Korea and his wife, Michelle, surfacing in Germany.

Back in the states, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Representative John A. Boehner — who will likely be the top two in the presidential succession line come January — both appeared at Arlington National Cemetery to mark a day once called Armistice Day in the U.S. (Why? The armistice that halted World War I was signed on Nov. 11, 1918.)

Here, then, is a roundup of some of Thursday’s Veterans Day events:

– The president — speaking at an army base in Seoul, which he was visiting for a G-20 summit — called supporting veterans one of his highest priorities and gave special acknowledgments to Korean and American soldiers who fought in the Korean War roughly six decades ago.

“Each of these men served their nation with incredible courage and commitment,” Mr. Obama said of a group of Korean War veterans who had traveled to Seoul. “They left their homes and their families and risked their lives in what’s often been called ‘the forgotten war.’ So today, we all want you to know this: We remember. We remember your courage. We remember your sacrifice. And the legacy of your service lives on in a free and prosperous Republic of Korea.”

– At Arlington, Mr. Biden congratulated Mr. Boehner for his likely ascension to House speaker and signaled that he, the president and the “soon-to-be speaker” were fully committed to ensuring that veterans get the assistance they need.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our veterans’ strength must be matched by our nation’s support,” the vice president said at an event that was also attended by, among others, Eric Shinseki, a retired general and the secretary of veterans affairs.

“Our soldiers today are fighting different wars than their fathers and grandfathers fought,” Mr. Biden added. “They’re suffering different wounds. But our obligation remains the same, to train and equip those who we send into harm’s way and to give them every bit of care that they’ve earned and deserve when they return home.”

In addition to his appearance at the cemetery, Mr. Boehner, an Ohio Republican, issued the following statement: “Today, we pause to pay proper respect to the heroes who have donned the uniform of our country and – along with their families – sacrificed so much so that we may enjoy the blessings of freedom. As we keep faith with our former defenders, we also pray for our sons and daughters overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world standing guard in defense of our freedom.”

– For her part, Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, according to the Associated Press, where she helped serve the fare at a special Veterans Day meal. Mrs. Obama — who was on her way back home after traveling through Asia with the president — also met with wounded service members at a nearby medical center.

She told the group at Ramstein that she missed her daughters, Malia and Sasha, terribly. “But it is a thrill to be here with you guys, because we are so grateful to all of you,” she added, according to the A.P. “Not just our servicemen and women, but their kids, wives, husbands and parents.”

– And finally, former President George W. Bush made a Veterans Day appearance of his own at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Ohio. According to the A.P., Mr. Bush again refused to criticize Mr. Obama, his successor, but did bring up his recently released memoir.

“I’ve really come to praise the veterans, not to sell my book. But if I sell a couple of copies, that’s OK, too,” said Mr. Bush, who also commented that he does miss being commander-in-chief, even if he doesn’t long for Washington.

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Authorities in Ohio are hunting for a man they say created a phony veterans’ charity to steal millions from donors and to get close to prominent Republican politicians, including former president George W. Bush and the likely next House speaker, John Boehner, ABC News reported. Ohio prosecutors said the suspect, who went by the name [...]

In Seoul for the G-20 conference, the prez will be pow-wowing with heads of state on Thursday, Nov. 11, but not before participating in ceremonies to commemorate Veterans Day. Here’s what’s on deck: (All times Korea Standard Time) 10:40 a.m. — The president delivers remarks at a Veterans Day event at the U.S. Army garrison [...]

President Obama commemorated Veterans Day far from U.S. shores Thursday, telling U.S. troops at a military base in South Korea — and, by extension, others throughout the world — that their country would always honor their service.“Your country will be there for you,” he said in a speech at Yongsan Garrison, the Washington Post reports. [...]