According to the Center For American Progress:
While we must always adequately fund the military and honor our servicemen and women, Congress can save up to $1.4 trillion over the next 12 years by eliminating overbudget and unnecessary defense programs, revamping military health care, and consolidating and capping spending across the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State. None of these actions will compromise national security:
We can save more than $350 billion through 2015 by:
- normalizing troop levels and cutting unneeded weapons.
- Nonwounded military retirees who are young enough to work and can afford to participate in their health insurance costs should do so—the alternative is unsustainable.
- We should cap long-term defense spending to keep it sustainable and affordable.
If all this is true, just do it!
I can attest that given the military health plan for retirees (TRICARE) has not increased premiums for participants in over fifteen years despite requests to do so from the Secretary of Defense, (Congress’s fault) the CAP is on to something. I’m don’t know about the rest, but it should be under scrutiny and not glossed over as untouchable.
Related articles
- You: Tricare target of Pentagon cuts as health care projected to reach $65B (washingtonpost.com)
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