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.
Most are ranting and raving based on the headline, including you.
"Question: How do you "save $2.4 billion" without cutting benefits? Answer: You don't."
So you're saying that there is no way that individual servicemembers could spend that money more efficiently than CHAMPUS and TRICARE bureaucrats do?
I suppose they could--by doing without medical benefits. Get real.
No, I quoted directly from the article, not the headline. I suppose you'd prefer military families just do without medical benefits? Gee, that would save a lot of money.
" I think this thread should be pulled."
I agree. This is without merit.
Are you aware of how little TriCare actually pays on hospital, doctor, and prescription bills? Some doctors in our area won't even accept Tri Care. On a hospital stay I had awhile ago, the bill was in the thousands; Tri Care paid a few hundred. The hospital ate most of the rest of it (except cost-share). I'd say Tri Care manages to keep the costs down pretty well. Of course, cutting us off altogether would probably be preferable to some of you.
"I suppose they could--by doing without medical benefits. Get real."
OK, on this side, I have a Spec-4 with a wife and a kid making decisions about his family medical coverage, with an eye to putting more money into his pocket.
On the other side, I have a GS-15 making decisions about the Spec-4's family medical coverage, with an eye to building a bigger personal fiefdom in the bureaucracy and/or illegally diverting some of the money into his own pocket.
Who to support? Decisions, decisions...
You're siding with some suit who's never heard a shot fired in anger; I'm siding with the Spec-4 who has...
No, it's with merit. The original is from the Army Times. See post #51.
"Are you aware of how little TriCare actually pays on hospital, doctor, and prescription bills?"
Because the GS-15 you're siding with is siphoning off the money.
Absolutely.
This sounds/reads like a liberal piece of crap.
So, if you don't like the facts, you make something up. Great tactic. You'd make a good Democrat.
Howlin, see the link in #51. From what dear hubby has been able to find out, it's true. Spence should be ashamed of himself.
God you are stupid.
She just sees "cut" and "military" in the same sentence and is incapable of thinking about it logically.
"God you are stupid."
Why does the phrase "Can't understand normal thinking" come to mind?
I think I saw something about this yesterday, no doubt posted by one of his minions, right here on FR, under the most unbelieveable title:
Leader of House Conservatives to appear on ABC's This Week Sunday
I only clicked on it to find out just who the "leader" of the House Conservatives was, since I had never heard of this post before.
And it links to this:
House Conservatives Launch 'Operation Offset'
So is this the same thing -- and why is he calling himself the "leader" of the "House Conservatives?"
This is NEVER going to happen, period.
Why does the phrase "the h*ll with the military as long as I get mine" come to mind when I read some of these posts?
I would hope so. But a couple of "freepers" are gung ho for it. When conservatives jump on this particular bandwagon, it's just plain disturbing.
To whom it may concern, please knock off the personal stuff.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.