Posted on 09/22/2005 6:14:11 AM PDT by pabianice
A group of House Republicans have proposed a plan to offset the costs of relief and rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina that includes trimming military quality-of-life programs, including health care. Possible sources of funding cuts to free up money for Katrina relief include reduced health benefits, consolidation of the three military exchange systems and the closure of the military’s stateside school system.
The House Republican Study Committee, headed by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., is not singling out the military as it tries to raise the estimated $200 billion that the federal government will need for various Katrina-related spending.
Their proposal includes freezing congressional pay, charging federal workers for parking and cutting back on legislative earmarking — items added to agency budgets by lawmakers — as ways of raising money.
They call their effort “Operation Offset,” and hope to get spending cuts considered before Congress approves any more money devoted to Katrina relief and recovery operations.
Their offset list includes three provisions aimed at military quality-of-life programs:
• Service members would be offered cash if they are willing to accept reduced health care benefits for their families. “The less comprehensive plan would encourage individuals to be more cost-conscious when purchasing health care products by including deductibles, co-payments and a maximum annual out-of-pocket expenditure limit,” according to a written explanation provided by the study group. Reduced health care benefits could save $2.4 billion over 10 years.
• The three separate military exchange systems could be consolidated, saving up to $1.9 billion over 10 years, the study group says. The Army and Air Force share an exchange system, AAFES, while the Navy and Marine Corps have their own systems. “Consolidating … would eliminate inefficiencies from duplicative purchasing, different personnel departments, warehouse and inventory systems and management headquarters while retaining the current ability for service embers and their families to receive a wide selection of goods at a low price,” the statement says.
The Pentagon has studied the idea of exchange consolidation for years but has been unable to overcome bureaucratic obstacles and opposition from some service officials and industry groups. Several studies of the issue also have raised questions about how much money would be saved.
• The stateside system of elementary and secondary schools for military family members could be closed, saving $788 million over 10 years, the study says.
“This provision would phase out these domestic schools over time and shift these military children into the local public school systems,” the study group says.
The Pentagon also has been studying this idea, but has faced strong opposition from parents of children attending the schools because public schools are seen as offering lower-quality education.
So far, the Bush administration has not endorsed any plan to pay for hurricane relief, although President Bush has suggested that reducing spending is one obvious option.
At the administration’s request, Congress already has approved $62 billion in Katrina spending by simply adding it to the national debt, because other money is not available and no offsets were approved as part of the legislation.
White House budget officials met Tuesday with Senate Republicans to talk about Katrina relief plans but provided no recommendations on possible offsetting cuts in other programs to cover costs, according to senators who attended the closed-door meetings.
I don't believe this. It's not sourced and there is absolutely no way with so many active duty military risking their lives that we're going to cut benefits to them.
And without sourcing, I think this thread should be pulled.
Once they're no longer useful to you, cast them aside, huh? Vote the bums out of office.
How about that bloated Highway Bill? The Prescription Drug Coverage seniors don't want? The U.N. where most of the cash ends up in numbered Swiss Bank Accounts? The Farm bill, where "farming the mailbox" means doing nothing for checks?
Not to mention all sorts of other Pork in this bloated, ridiculous spending spree - And it is BOTH sides of the aisle.
Sounds good to me.
• The three separate military exchange systems could be consolidated, saving up to $1.9 billion over 10 years, the study group says. The Army and Air Force share an exchange system, AAFES, while the Navy and Marine Corps have their own systems. “Consolidating … would eliminate inefficiencies from duplicative purchasing, different personnel departments, warehouse and inventory systems and management headquarters while retaining the current ability for service embers and their families to receive a wide selection of goods at a low price,” the statement says.
Sounds good to me too.
The questionable one to me is shutting the school system on the bases. That is assuming that it is any better than your average public school. I have no idea if it is or isn't.
the worst news to come out of it. Sending the little fella an email today to leave the military alone. They were the ones in gulf coast area risking their lives and health just like they have done since the beginning of time. To start with, the rep., can do, is cut the house and senates benefits and their salary to help pay for Katrina.
How about paying attention to the news?
If you read the email, they are not proposing cutting "benefits" in the traditional sense. The headline is misleading.
Don't believe it. I think the Medicare prescription drug benefit should be put on hold.
There is over $1 TRILLION in social welfare speinding to take offsets from. If Pence or any other "Republican" suggests money come from any source other than other social welfare programs then strike the word "Republican" from their title and just call them a MARXIST.
We need a better source for this. Trust but verify :)
What's wrong with merging the exchanges? What's wrong with bringing the health care system a bit closer to free market and away from socialism, which we all support when applied to the rest of the country?
My husbands unit deploys to Afghanistan in Dec. Unit funding(to buy items needed to deploy) has been delayed to help Katrina victims. Also, the wait in the Emergency room here, typically long at most hospitals, is very looooooooong- ie, 15- 20 hours. Why? My kids Dr. told me he heard that DOD sent some of our ER doctors to help hurricane victims. I don't want to sound cruel and I hope all those ill or injured rec'd help, but I do think the military is "giving it up."
No link? BTW Exchanges should have been consolidated a long time ago.
There are a lot of cuts being thrown around by different people but you have to post this like it is the final deal and it is all the Republicans fault. Just like the "cut" in veterans benefit emails some of you kept posting that turned out to be phoney. Largest raise ever has been under this President but why give him or Republicans any credit!
Give me a break!
Well...Eliminating the seperate exchange systems would actually benefit the Navy and Marine folks as Nex sucks compared to AAFES. Why pay for two seperate managements?
Wasn't really aware that the DoD was running school systems INCONUS. Every base I've been stationed at the kids went to the local public school system.
I thought TRICARE already had deductibles, copays and maximums for dependants?
Pay and benefits have gone up quite well under President Bush.
Since "study groups" look at ALL alternatives and evaluate them there is little likelihood this is anything other than that sort of brainstorming. Like one way for me to lose weight would be to cut off a leg.
Just curious have we cancelled the billions promised to the G8 for Africa? Seems we have some domestic needs. Charity starts at home.
I am with you. Randolph AFB has their own school system and they sit next to a very good school system in San Antonio. The bases surrounded by bad school systems in San Antonio don't have schools. Go figure!
I am just giving my 2 cents...I usually don't get my info from passed along email- and I didn't read the article ;).
I agree with you about the Medicare bill.
That bill pays companies to live up to their contractual obligations to retirees. In other words, it bribes corporations NOT to drop retiree coverage.
But corporations have lots of number crunchers and they have decided that even with the bribe, they are better dropping their retiree prescription drug coverage and letting the taxpayers pick up the tab.
I can't tell you how many people I know personally who had great retiree prescription benefits and they've gotten letters from their carriers saying they will be dropped in January 2006 and the feds will take over.
And although I don't remember the specific numbers, nearly all of them will pay gobs more money individually because the feds don't pay the first $2,500, then pay up to $7,500 and then you get dropped again.
It's the worst bill that a Republican president has ever signed, imo.
Ok, Pence is one. Who are the rest? Rinos!!
This is bunk.
Pence a Rino? Get real.
Is this the same source that said Target stores only supports Gay and Lesbian causes???
On another note: I support the military as much as anyone, but it is still government, and it should not be a sacred cow when it comes to cutting waste.
The CONUS schools still run by DoD tend to be in remote locations, or in places the local schools suck so bad no one in their right mind would attend.
When DoD gave Edwards AFB schools over to Mohave County, the quality went downhill fast - poor tax base, and few civilians in the area had school age kids.
Thread after thread on this site has shown the republicans knocking each other down in the race to spend money: MediPill payoffs to senior citizen voters, pork highway bills, foreign welfare giveaways to third world countries, and now throwing as many billions of dollars at hurricane "relief" as they can get their hands on.
Its painfully obvious that the future of conservatism cannot be with the republican party. They are merely the "dumb" of the dumb and dumber two-party system we now have. It's time for a conservative exodus from the republican party, rather than stay and be enablers like battered spouses.
These suggestions in the email have been in DoD for years -- this is an email scare tactic. There is nothing sourced and these are suggestions.
Tricare for dependents has a co-pay, exchanges need consolidated, and CONUS school systems need to be closed IMHO.
Rep Pence is not a RINO either!
Look, I'm for cutting WASTE, but not the pay or benefits for the guys and gals on the ground--or the things they need to fight. Anyone who would do such a thing should be tarred and feathered--and is no patriot. When they say "cut the military budget" they always mean pay and benefits, and too often, they also mean equipment.
In MO, the local school system operated the schools for Ft L Wood on post...county schools on govt property. Here at Ft Bragg, about 7 elementary schools operated by DOD on post. One middle school to serve all 5th 6th graders, one junior high to serve kids until 9th grade( I think, my oldest is only in 6th), and high school for military kids is off post at a failing h.s. that is 95% minority- we are moving off post before h.s. There are a quite a few dod schools in the U.S. Some for West Point, Quantico, etc.
I don't think Tricare makes you co-pay anymore if you are active duty or spouse/kidof active duty.
Seems to be the better option than to be getting all excited about something that may be a will-o-the-wisp.
Leni
Hmm...
Let's see...we can cut the programs for AMERICANS IN UNIFORM and their FAMILIES...
Or we can cut ALL PROGRAMS AND BENEFITS for ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS...
Gee, which gets proposed first? It's the oldest trick that local political hacks play...cut the VITAL and most PAINFUL services to the public firts!
One more SMOKE and MIRROR plan from those who are WAAAY too out-of-touch with America!
Let me conter-propose some things...
1) GUT the Highway bill to the ABSOLUTE BONE! Dump the Prescription Drug Coverage plan!
2) Consfiscate the Congressional Pension money, and make these WHORES live with Social Security like they fopisted on America!
3) End ALL spending on FORMER PRESIDENTS! They have shown they can majke $$$...let THEM pay for their travel, and security etc...
4) Cut NEA and NPR OUT of the budget
5) No more UN money, nor ANY "Foreign Aid" to places like N. Korea, or ANY Ilsamazi nation, and get BACK all the $$$ from the PaleSimians
6) Eliminate any and ALL aid to Illegal Infiltrators...fine the employers of Illegal Infiltrators MASSIVELY...cross check the Registrations of Vehicles with SSI and Welfare payouts (look for Cadillac Escalades on welfare), and look for MULTIPLE payouts to the same address...use the DEA tactic and CONFISCATE all assets of Illegals UNTIL they can prove they were acquired LEGALLY (hell, if I can't travel with a wad of cash without worrying that any local cop pulling me overe for any perceived infraction could then CONFISCATE my cash and make me prove how I earned it, why not ILLEGALS!)
I'm just starting here...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54940-2005Mar21.html
http://mikepence.house.gov/blog/
I just wrote my congressman congratulating him on Operation offset. Godspeed to the spending CUTTERS.
I guess you didn't actually read the post, as they are not proposing cutting the pay or benefits for the guys and gals on the ground.
A-freakin-men. Too bad we got LBJ in the white house.
What you say makes far too much sense for anyone in Washington to take it seriously. And apparently for some Freepers, too.
Of course not. He doesn't have to pick up the tab. GWB=LBJ
How about this? ALL STINKING POLITICIANS TAKE A 100% PAY CUT for the next FIVE YEARS to help pay...
BS!
I think they should consider cutting "katrina" finding. Atleast until they know what it is to be spent on.
Wrong. Health care is a benefit. I did read the post. Maybe YOU didn't.
If this is true, the GOP should go F themselves ten times over.
They are disgraceful, disgusting, deplorable, detestable, and downright awful to ask our servicemen to bear any of the brunt of this while you have illegals, welfare cheats, corporate welfare, ect running rampant.
Honestly, some of these posts here disgust me. If this is what a Republican is, I would drop out. (But I don't think most real Republicans think this way at all--I'm just disappointed at those who do.)
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