Obama to cut healthcare benefits for active duty and retired US military

[jimnyc]

Is the President, and his family, and members of senate, and other congressional leaders - are THEY going to pay more to help the cut in spending? I think anyone who votes this budget through should have to put their money where their votes are, and pay higher rates just like those they are voting should.

The Obama administration’s proposed defense budget calls for military families and retirees to pay sharply more for their healthcare, while leaving unionized civilian defense workers’ benefits untouched. The proposal is causing a major rift within the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials. Several congressional aides suggested the move is designed to increase the enrollment in Obamacare’s state-run insurance exchanges.

The disparity in treatment between civilian and uniformed personnel is causing a backlash within the military that could undermine recruitment and retention.

The proposed increases in health care payments by service members, which must be approved by Congress, are part of the Pentagon’s $487 billion cut in spending. It seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017.

Many in Congress are opposing the proposed changes, which would require the passage of new legislation before being put in place.

“We shouldn’t ask our military to pay our bills when we aren’t willing to impose a similar hardship on the rest of the population,” Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and a Republican from California, said in a statement to the Washington Free Beacon. “We can’t keep asking those who have given so much to give that much more.”

http://freebeacon.com/trashing-tricare/

[pegwinn]

I seem to remember this part of the wheel back when Monica Lewinsky's boy toy was in office.

Kipling saw this coming.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!" But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot; An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please; An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!</pre>

Source for the whole poem. Good read.

[Gunny]

Is the President, and his family, and members of senate, and other congressional leaders - are THEY going to pay more to help the cut in spending? I think anyone who votes this budget through should have to put their money where their votes are, and pay higher rates just like those they are voting should.



http://freebeacon.com/trashing-tricare/

What a dirtbag.

[SassyLady]

It's a win-win for Obama. The cuts/increases don't go into effect until after the election and if he's elected he has already screwed us, but doesn't care. If he doesn't get elected he's still screwed us, but also the next president.

[fj1200]

Stay classy administration.

[darin]

People who think like Gabby are in charge. What does anyone expect? Our leadership is more about 'creating a dialog' with monsters and evil people, instead of swiftly killing them. Gutting all levels of defense makes sense to them. Hence our 'pay freezes' and budgets cut by 20-50%.