OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Our Military Families Deserve Fairness

Floor Speech

Date: March 1, 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Military Personnel Veterans Government Budget and Spending

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I was fortunate to chair a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel where we had a hearing in regard to receiving information concerning the administration's military personnel budget overview for 2013.

The administration constantly preaches about fairness. Over the next 10 years, the administration has proposed cutting our military personnel by 123,000 troops and cutting civilian employees by a mere 7,000 personnel, but destroying 130,000 jobs. It is absolutely unfair that the administration believes in drastically eliminating our troops with no substantial cuts to any other Department of our government even as we are at war with an enemy that is obsessed with death. Additionally, the administration's proposal allows an increase of TriCare health insurance enrollment fees by a possible 345 percent over the next 5 years. This kind of unfairness must stop.

I urge the President and his administration to reconsider their budget request and treat our military personnel, military families, and veterans with the fairness they've earned and the respect they deserve.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

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