Is there any group in this country more deserving of our help and consideration than the military? And yet, this week President Obama threatened to veto the Defense Appropriations bill because it did not increase fees charged for medical care to our soldiers and their families.
The Washington Review and Commentary Weekly News From The White House, dated June 28, 2012,contains a laundry list of appropriations with which the administration disagrees. It should be noted, the appropriations bill passed easily in a bipartisan fashion. The president’s budget plan wanted to cut nearly $2Billion in expense from TriCare through increased fees to military personnel. The House passed bill was slightly larger than the administration proposal (less than 1%) but made spending cuts in the non-defense discretionary budget in order to lesson the impact particularly to the military staff.
In February it was reported that the administration planned to cut health benefits for active and retired military while not adjusting benefits of the civil defense workers who are unionized. At the time, congressional aides suggested the move was intended to force service members into Obamacare.
We send our service men and women out to protect us and our country. Does it make sense that we place less value on their services than we do the civil defense force? Or is this another opportunity for this administration to side with unions?