Congress Downgrading Soldiers

From Yahoo news:
"Lawmakers open to changes in military benefits"

The government's promise of lifetime health care for the military's men and women is suddenly a little less sacrosanct as Congress looks to slash trillion-dollar-plus deficits. Republicans and Democrats alike are signaling a willingness — unheard of at the height of two post-Sept. 11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — to make military retirees pay more for coverage. It's a reflection of Washington's newfound embrace of fiscal austerity and the Pentagon's push to cut health care costs that have skyrocketed from $19 billion in 2001 to $53 billion. The numbers are daunting for a military focused on building and arming an all-volunteer force for war. The Pentagon is providing health care coverage for 3.3 million active duty personnel and their dependents and 5.5 million retirees, eligible dependents and surviving spouses. Retirees outnumber the active duty, 2.3 million to 1.4 million.

^ This is just plain disgusting. Congress sends the soldiers to wars and conflicts all over the world (sometimes a solider serves in more than one warzone) and then Congress complains about the cost of taking care of them and their families. Why doesn't Congress stop their own pensions, health care coverage and other perks they get? If they really cared about saving money they should take it from themselves and not from those that they send into combat and who protect us - many giving their own lives. I hope the veteran's groups, veteran's families and the American people can stop Congress from doing this. We need to give more support to the soldiers, veterans and their families - NOT LESS! If Congress expects the American Military to keep our country safe and serve/fight around the world then at the same time, they can not strip their basic benefits from them. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-open-changes-military-benefits-080216962.html