Rumsfeld Opposes TRICARE Expansion Bill (Vets health care)

[Nambe]

Associated Press

Offering inactive National Guard members and reservists the same health care benefits as active-duty soldiers could force cuts in other areas of the military budget, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told lawmakers in a letter this week.

Rumsfeld said he would recommend that President Bush veto the defense authorization bill if it included a Senate plan to expand TRICARE, the military health program. He estimated the change could cost $5 billion per year, although Democrats disputed that figure. ---

"It's only a matter of fairness," Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said Thursday. "As we speak, members of the Guard and reserves are still on active duty. They're serving their country. And I believe that as they come home, having sacrificed so much, at least we ought to give them the opportunity to pay for their own health insurance under TRICARE."

Daschle said earlier estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office put the cost of the TRICARE extension at $300 million. The plan requires reservists who choose the coverage to pay a share of the costs.

"I can't imagine where (Rumsfeld) would have gotten the figure that this would cost billions of dollars," Daschle said.

A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment Thursday on the discrepancy. ---

Banish bush From Texas Too

[Rainbowreflect]

1. Totally understandable.

The more money that goes to those guys that fight, the less that can go to bush's friends contracts.

[JohnKleeb]

2. *clearing throat* and the military isnt a consistent dem constiuency why

We are the ones who started the GI Bill there would be no GI Bill today if the more fair republicans of yesteryear opposed it their far conservative comrades of today would oppose it too. This is an outrage they earned and deserved this fuck you Rummy.

[lcordero]

7. Heh

Clinton signed the FY2000 Defense Authorization Act. This bill gave the military the choice of choosing between getting 50% of the average of the highest three years of service or keeping the old plan(40%)plus $30,000. This is an improvement over what Reagan did. Reagan enacted the Military Retirement Reform Act of 1986. This bill slashed the 20 year retirement from 50% to 40%.

Remember that the 105th Congress was under Clinton:
http://public.scott.af.mil/375aw/rao/Section2/SSec2.16.5.htm

[saigon68]

12. I agree Fuck the Bastard

He knows nothing about being an E-4, with a family living on food stamps. He's just SCUM

[lcordero]

3. I think that this is an intelligent move on Daschle's part

He's trying to solve a problem while at the same time wooing a part of the Republican base that is getting increasingly angry with this administration.

[salin]

4. Tie this to the story of the "Disabled Vet Tax"

that there was "bipartisan" support for, but after white house pressure to veto, many congressional repubs have backed off - leaving the dems to push for it.

Read about it earlier today. See this thread. All of these stories need to be put together and repeated frequently. Get the word out. This administration does not Support the Troops - especially those that get injured due to their service to this country.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=6198&mesg_id=6198&listing_type=search

[HawkerHurricane]

5. Republicans DO support the Military

CONTRACTORS.
I mean, if they gave the troops better health care, then they might be only able to build 99 instead of 100 of those anti ballistic missiles that don't work.

[izzie]

6. When I was married to ex navy man I liked tricare.

Gop likes the service in a very strang way. As a fighting unit for the corp yes and if they can build something for money they go for it but the men can go to hell as far as they think. That party has forgot people a long time ago. Profits are what counts with them.It is like we are not all living on the same earth.

[LauraK]

9. To Bad the military is voting electronic in '04. Toooo Bad.

[Nottingham]

8. OH GOP and Rummsfeld just show their cards! JERKS

:bounce:

[VolcanoJen]

10. Kick

[lkinsale]

11. Yeah, and Iraq is costing $4 billion a MONTH, Rummy

Aren't you the fiscal wizard?

[alfredo]

13. Fucking chickenhawks

If they want to fight and pay for their wars, they better start tossing us a bone every now and then.

[dback]

14. I swear, are these people absolute morons, or just plain evil?

How do they think they can get away with this crap? Because they've pulled of The Man Behind The Curtain for the past two years, do they think NO ONE in America is going to notice or care about this sort of thing?

[philosophie_en_rose]

15. Just Plain Evil Morons.

These are the same folks who are raking in "bonuses" for kissing Bush's ass.

Support the Troops - Until they need anything.