MILITARY AND DEFENSE BUDGET CUTS
CONDENSED FROM THE MARINE CORPS TIMES
Fight For Our Military!
They have fought for you!
In a time where drastic cuts in government spending are being proposed, it appears that the Military and the defense budget are the next targets in a new proposal. The list of programs currently under attack includes pay raises, retiree pay, health care benefits, Commissaries & Exchanges, and the size of our Armed Forces. Below is a simple break down:
The Army would be reduced from 547,00 active-duty soldiers to about 360,000. The Marine Corps form 202,000 reduced to about 145,000. The Navy would see cuts of about 9000 from jobs that support the Marine Corps.
Cuts of an estimated 280,000 civilian DOD jobs.
The proposal includes cuts in full pay & allowances and/or no raises at all.
Cuts in health care benefits to retirees would be in addition to 21% cuts already made to health care for retirees/active duty and dependents.
Drastic reduction or elimination of deployments.
Combined Commissaries and Exchanges would increase their prices by having higher markups and possible surcharges on grocery items.
The supporters of this are Rep. Barney Frank ( D-Mass ), Rep. Ron Paul ( R- Texas ), Rep. Walter Jones ( R- NC ), and Sen. Ron Wyden ( D- Ore ). A task force formed at the urging of Frank, Paul, Jones, and Wyden- The ‘Sustainable Defense Task Force’. The SDTF sent a report to the ‘National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform‘ who will report to the White House and Congress in December with it’s recommendations. Because the 2011 defense budget could be completed before the commission completes it’s report, cuts in personnel programs are not likely to start until after this year.
Our military continues to face more cuts in benefits- they already receive much less pay than their civilian counter parts. Many military families, especially enlisted, are already struggling to make ends meet.
Do we really need more jobs cut? We have skilled military personnel in vital roles. Can we really afford to cut our military while facing global terrorism? The government says they can afford their massive health care proposal, but they cannot afford the troops?
If our troop size diminishes, we will eventually will be unable to effectively secure our borders. The deployments are necessary to keep abreast of developing situations around the world which may effect us. The War on Terror ( now referred to as ’The Overseas Contingency ‘) keeps the fighting abroad and from becoming more of a threat domestically- as long as we are fighting over there, we are more likely to keep the fight from coming over here. This is a National Security issue! What can you do to help? Call or email to express your support for our Military- say NO to these cuts and contact:
Barney Frank
www.house.gov/frank/ Ron Paul www.house.gov/paul/ Walter Jones
jones.house.gov/ Ron Wyden wyden.senate.gov/They say we cannot afford to fund our military,
but WE CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO!
