WASHINGTON (AP) – Lawmakers from both parties called on the Bush administration Wednesday for money and accountability in a widening data security breach now encompassing nearly all active-duty military, Guard and Reserve members.

In the Senate, Democrats renewed their criticism of Veteran Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson and demanded his ouster following the agency’s disclosure Tuesday that personal information for 2.2 military personnel – not just 50,000 as initially believed – was stolen from a VA employee on May 3.

“It’s amazing. Such incompetence is worse than anything I’ve ever seen in six administrations,” Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said at a news briefing. “At some point, this administration has got to stop saying we’ll hire or appoint political cronies, but we’ll actually appoint somebody who knows how to make the government work.”

And in the House, some 150 Democrats called on President Bush to request emergency funds to provide free credit monitoring for the 26.5 million veterans and military personnel who are now at risk for identity theft.

“These records were stolen more than a month ago, and we’re still figuring out what information was lost?” asked Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., whose House Government Reform Committee will hold hearings Thursday in which Nicholson will testify. “We need to hear a good explanation for why that is.”

A White House spokeswoman did not have an immediate comment on the funding request. The VA has said it is in discussions with credit-monitoring services to determine “how veterans and others potentially affected can best be served” in the aftermath of the theft.

On Tuesday, Nicholson said the agency was mistaken when it said over the weekend that up to 50,000 Navy and National Guard personnel were among the 26.5 million veterans whose names, birth dates and Social Security numbers were stolen from a VA data analyst’s home.

The number is actually much higher because the VA realized it had records on file for most active-duty personnel who are eligible to receive VA benefits such as GI Bill educational assistance and the home loan guarantee program.

In their letter to Bush, House Democrats said the nation’s military personnel, many of whom are fighting wars abroad, should get one free credit report each year as well as credit monitoring.

“The federal government has a duty to ensure that the financial health of our nation’s veterans and military families is not harmed as a result of this most unfortunate event,” stated the letter, which was organized by Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., and signed by Democrats including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

Veterans groups have criticized the VA for a three-week delay in publicizing the May 3 burglary, with five groups filing a class-action lawsuit this week in Washington seeking $1,000 in damages for violations of privacy for each military personnel affected – up to $26.5 billion total.

On Wednesday, the national veterans group United Spinal Association of New York said it was backing the five groups that filed suit – Citizen Soldier, National Gulf War Resource Center, Radiated Veterans of America, Veterans for Peace and Vietnam Veterans of America – in seeking compensation and a full disclosure from the VA as to who is at risk.

The VA initially disclosed the burglary May 22, saying it involved the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers – and in some cases, disability codes – of veterans discharged since 1975. Since then, it has also acknowledged that phone numbers and addresses of many of those veterans may have been included.

On Wednesday, Sen. Patty Murray called the theft a “disaster” and said her phones have been ringing off the hook with veterans who are losing faith in the VA. She cited the years of warnings by the agency’s inspector general that security access controls were weak.

“How are we going to make sure that every one of these veterans gets the care that they need, and how are we going to make sure now that 26 1/2 million veterans get the help they need?” asked Murray, D-Wash., who appeared with Leahy. “That’s going to cost money. It is not free. We have a responsibility to help every single one of them.”

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On the Net:

Information for veterans suspecting identity theft:

http://www.firstgov.gov or 1-800-FED-INFO

AP-ES-06-07-06 1804EDT