Support our military, Mr. President- and leave TRICARE alone

Support our military, Mr. President- and leave TRICARE alone

Support our military, Mr. President- and leave TRICARE alone

Support our military, Mr. President- and leave TRICARE alone

In recent days, much has been said and written about Rush Limbaugh and a Georgetown law student who may or may not be a prostitute or a slut.  It's shaped up to be a nice diversion from President Obama's budget proposal that does our nation's active duty military folks and retirees a great disservice.

Obama calls for $1.8 billion in cuts to TRICARE (the health care program serving Uniformed Service members, retirees and their families worldwide) in the coming year and a total of $12.9 billion by 2017.  I'm all for budget cuts and belt-tightening when it's warranted, but America must continue to keep her promise and provide quality and affordable health care to those who put their lives on the line for us every day.

The president calls cuts to TRICARE and elsewhere a "reflection of shared responsibility".  "Shared responsibility?"  When was the last time he dug into a foxhole?  Last time he stood watch on a flight deck?  Last IED he found before it found one of his buddies?

A congressional estimate shows that one retiree now paying $460/yr for his health care would pay $2,048 under the president's "shared responsibility" plan.  Membership in a plan called "TRICARE for Life" would also be required- with appropriate fees.

The goal here is to force America's heroes out of the TRICARE plan- and into an Obamacare system of means-tested benefits that's contrary to the type of medical care and services America agreed to provide them.

If YOU feel our military and our veterans deserve quality health care and continued reasonable premiums, urge your member of Congress to support H.R. 1092, the Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act, which prohibits the Department of Defense from increasing TRICARE fees without congressional approval

May God bless each and every active-duty sailor, soldier, airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman- and each veteran whose worn one of our nation's uniforms...and may God continue to bless and keep America in His gracious hand.

And unless you're ready to load up your M-14 and go hunting after The Taliban, I urge you to Support our military, Mr. President- and leave TRICARE alone