Troops deserve better

Friday, January 1, 1904

As America remains focused on the Supreme Court Ruling regarding Obamacare, an important veto threat issued by the President has gone largely unnoticed.

Unbelievably, President Obama has threatened to veto this year's defense appropriations bill unless the legislation includes a significant increase in the fees paid by active and retired military members for health coverage.

By increasing premiums on Tricare, the military health plan covering 9.3 million beneficiaries, Obama hopes to rake in $1.8 billion in 2013 alone.

President Obama calls for increases that range from 30-78 percent in Tricare annual premiums during the first year. In next five years, Obama wants America's military heroes to pay up to 345 percent more for their premiums.

The House Armed Services Committee proposals regarding Tricare, in contrast, increase co-pays for some services, especially name brand drugs. Overall, however, this GOP plan is much more budget-friendly to military members and their families.

Writing for the Washington Free Beacon, Bill Gertz claims, "Administration officials told Congress that one goal of the increased fees is to force military retirees to reduce their involvement in Tricare and eventually opt out of the program in favor of alternatives established by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare."

As a commander-in-chief, Obama remains committed to funding failing solar farms, sending billions in foreign aid to nations that are hostile to America's freedoms and bailing out any industry that appears willing to cut him a campaign check. Unfortunately, the president also seems committed to squeezing every last penny out of America's brave servicemen and women, while shoving Obamacare schemes down their throats.

Not in recent memory has an American president made the comfort, health and well-being of the nation's military personnel a lower priority.