W-b Vo-tech Passes Pay Hikes For 11/ Increases Totaling $4,100 Were Approved
For Family Members Of Two Committee Members

Americans Have Much To Be Thankful For/ Perspective Father Bob Timchak

Monday, November 21, 2005 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 11A 





The Bush administration has been pressuring the Congress to curb all
entitlement growth to include active duty, active duty military, military
retirees and veterans. What have been the results? Medicare and Medicaid cuts
are being instituted. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In mid-September, the Republican Study Committee formally introduced
"Operation Offset," a proposed collection of budget cuts and related measures
designed to pay for hurricane relief without increasing taxes or running up
the budget deficit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The specifics, which would impose significant burdens on most tax-paying
citizens, would levy a 20 percent beneficiary co-payment for all Medicare
costs (including hospitalization), increase Medicare Part B premiums by 20
percent, and ask troops to accept reduced health care benefits for their
families. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Additionally, the Department of Defense's stateside system of elementary
and secondary schools for military family members would be closed and the
three military exchange systems would be consolidated. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The RSC is chaired by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., and lists over 100
representatives as members. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, is the committee's
Budget &amp; Spending Task Force chairman. Rep. Hensarling sponsored a bill
earlier this year (H.R. 2290) which would trigger mandatory cuts in military
retired pay cost-of-living adjustments, Medicare and other federal entitlement
programs if entitlement spending rose above certain limits. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Congress rejected a similar proposal last year. This latest plan comes at a
time when hundreds of thousands of the nation's young men and women are
fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as providing much needed
hurricane relief and maintaining order in the devastated Gulf Coast region. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It appears that for some members of Congress, the quality of life for those
who serve and protect our country are fair game. In short, the RSC proposal
reflects a callous disregard for those individuals who bear exceptional
burdens and make extraordinary sacrifices every day to carry out the perilous
and rigorous duties the government assigned to them. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Henry J. Lynn Jr. Wilkes-Barre

`operation Offset' A Mission U.s. And Military Can't Afford