Monday, June 06, 2005
Dems Say Republicans 'Turned Their Backs' on US Troops.
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Morning Editor
Congressional Democrats accuse Republicans of voting to "deny adequate health care" to part-time National Guard and Reserve troops.
The DCCC said it is airing radio ads in the districts of a dozen Republicans who "voted against members of the National Guard and Reserves."
"We at the DCCC are not going to let them get away with this," said a message signed by DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.). He accused Republicans of catering to their "wealthy special interests" while turning their backs on heroic National Guard troops and Reservists.
"Since the beginning of our military action in Iraq, Republicans have tried to portray any criticism of Bush administration policy as an attack on our soldiers. Nothing could be further from the truth," Emanuel said in his email message.
"Congressional Democrats have always supported our servicemen and women on the frontlines -- in our actions as well as our words."
The flap centers on an amendment to the fiscal 2006 defense authorization bill.
The amendment, which passed the House Armed Services Committee on a 32-30 vote almost two weeks ago, would have expanded TRICARE Reserve Select health coverage to any drilling Guard or Reserve member who was willing to pay the premiums. As things stand now, the Guard and Reserve are covered by TRICARE only when they are mobilized for active duty.
Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) removed the TRICARE amendment after it passed committee for budgetary reasons, he said.
The problem, Hunter said, was that many civilian employers would stop covering drilling Guard and Reserve troops under their own health care programs.
"We looked at this thirty ways to Sunday and didn't see how we could keep people from gaming the system and piling enormous costs onto the federal government," Hunter was quoted as saying. He also said it the money would be better spent on weapons and equipment for Guard and Reserve troops.
Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), sponsor of the expanded TRICARE amendment, was furious that Hunter stripped the amendment from the bill.
"The Guard and Reserve make up more than 40 percent of our forces in Iraq," Taylor said in a statement last week. "We're relying on them to shore up our active duty forces, and they're doing everything our active-duty troops are doing. Our Guard and Reserve personnel deserve similar benefits for similar services."
Emanuel notes that Republicans have managed to find money for oil industry tax breaks, repealing the estate tax, and pushing a Social Security "privatization" plan -- "even as they declared that we just 'can't afford' healthcare for our troops."
"We Democrats have nothing but profound admiration and gratitude for those fighting so bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan... And in Congress, our actions will continue to live up to our words," Emanuel said.
On the Senate side, a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) also support the idea of expanding TRICARE to drilling Guard and Reserve troops.
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By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Morning Editor
Congressional Democrats accuse Republicans of voting to "deny adequate health care" to part-time National Guard and Reserve troops.
The DCCC said it is airing radio ads in the districts of a dozen Republicans who "voted against members of the National Guard and Reserves."
"We at the DCCC are not going to let them get away with this," said a message signed by DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.). He accused Republicans of catering to their "wealthy special interests" while turning their backs on heroic National Guard troops and Reservists.
"Since the beginning of our military action in Iraq, Republicans have tried to portray any criticism of Bush administration policy as an attack on our soldiers. Nothing could be further from the truth," Emanuel said in his email message.
"Congressional Democrats have always supported our servicemen and women on the frontlines -- in our actions as well as our words."
The flap centers on an amendment to the fiscal 2006 defense authorization bill.
The amendment, which passed the House Armed Services Committee on a 32-30 vote almost two weeks ago, would have expanded TRICARE Reserve Select health coverage to any drilling Guard or Reserve member who was willing to pay the premiums. As things stand now, the Guard and Reserve are covered by TRICARE only when they are mobilized for active duty.
Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) removed the TRICARE amendment after it passed committee for budgetary reasons, he said.
The problem, Hunter said, was that many civilian employers would stop covering drilling Guard and Reserve troops under their own health care programs.
"We looked at this thirty ways to Sunday and didn't see how we could keep people from gaming the system and piling enormous costs onto the federal government," Hunter was quoted as saying. He also said it the money would be better spent on weapons and equipment for Guard and Reserve troops.
Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), sponsor of the expanded TRICARE amendment, was furious that Hunter stripped the amendment from the bill.
"The Guard and Reserve make up more than 40 percent of our forces in Iraq," Taylor said in a statement last week. "We're relying on them to shore up our active duty forces, and they're doing everything our active-duty troops are doing. Our Guard and Reserve personnel deserve similar benefits for similar services."
Emanuel notes that Republicans have managed to find money for oil industry tax breaks, repealing the estate tax, and pushing a Social Security "privatization" plan -- "even as they declared that we just 'can't afford' healthcare for our troops."
"We Democrats have nothing but profound admiration and gratitude for those fighting so bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan... And in Congress, our actions will continue to live up to our words," Emanuel said.
On the Senate side, a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) also support the idea of expanding TRICARE to drilling Guard and Reserve troops.
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