Source: Debt Commission Fights Over Freezing Military Pay, Slashing Benefits

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com...

Republicans would like you to think that Democrats have sinister plans for the post-election lame duck session of Congress, and Democrats are at pains to insist otherwise. But the one winter initiative progressives fear most is being crafted off the Hill by the White House's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. Though most of the commission's work occurs behind closed doors in small working groups, early reports indicate that the GOP's unwillingness to support any significant tax increases are pushing the group toward proposed entitlement slashes and larger budget cuts.

And while Americans might expect that the commission would look at all spending, some members are seemingly using their positions to advance professional interests. A source familiar with the proceedings of the working group on discretionary spending tells TPM that some commissioners, including one military contractor, would prefer to save money by freezing military pay and scaling back benefits, rather than by eliminating waste in defense contracting.


The source said that different members of the commission come down on different sides of the issue. The discussion group is led by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), whose primary aim is trimming fat on the contractor side, but, according to the source, David Cote, the Honeywell CEO who was appointed to the panel by President Obama, is pushing to find savings elsewhere.

"Coburn raised concerns about all of the cost overruns and redundant weapons system," the source told TPM. "Cote made excuses for it all."

According to the source, Cote and other members, including the commission's co-chair Alan Simpson, are focusing instead on "freezing military pay, making military people pay for their health care."

"I don't think there's a division anywhere, and I don't think you can pick up that sentiment, because I certainly haven't," Coburn told TPMDC yesterday. "Nothing's off the table."

On mandatory spending issues, according to the aide, things are shaping up similarly. "We spent all but 10 minutes on benefits cuts and spent 10 minutes on raising the wage caps." Though tax hikes aren't gaining traction, the group is discussing ways to close loopholes, end exemptions, deductions, credits, etc. to limit tax expenditures.

Cote was not immediately available for comment through Honeywell's corporate offices.

The commission's report is due by December 1. House Democrats have committed to voting up or down on the package if the Senate passes it first.

I'm sure there's nowhere else in the budget we could cut spending. Nowhere at all...

We'll get tax hikes out of this, hide and watch. They will be throwing around VAT later this year, count on it. They've already mentioned it a few times. Don't count on much more talk about freezing military pay and having military pay for their own health care before the mid-terms, though... There's a reason this commission's results won't be reported until after November.

The country's in the best of hands.

Watch the outrage, over this. Will build, distract, and get everyone in an uproar. Once the crescendo is reached, having served it's purpose, they'll magnanimously back down. "Oh, we never meant to to do that...".

Meanwhile, something else is being snuck through that nobody will notice for years, that will wind up screwing us even worse. VAT is the objective.

And it will be the VAT on top of all the other taxes we currently pay too.

Read a little bit about the health care bill and the financial bill. They both play a big part in setting up the bureaucracy that will support the VAT. ...What do you think all that 1099 BS is about?

Everything one of these ass-hats opens their mouth, remember the VAT is their Holy Grail.

reply to post by jerico65



think that should have read :

" Democrats would like you to think that Republicans have sinister plans for the post-election lame duck session of Congress........

these are the facts we are living in today:

defense is continually being cut............entitlements programs are being enlarged........

you can have all the free healthcare you want
you can have all the teachers you want
you can have all the roads you want
you can have all whatever else you want.....etc


the hard reality of this world today is without national defense there is nothing else.

what good does all that do for anyone when there isnt noone or anything standing between you and the dark cold abyss of those who will do us harm.

what good does all that do ?

absolutely nothing..


my thoughts feel free to disagree.



[edit on 9-8-2010 by neo96]

VAT will be the death knell for any kind of "middle class" in this country. As the disparity has been shown to grow wider and wider between the classes, and the middle class has continued to shrink, all VAT will accomplish is the destruction of the middle class, establishing the "plutonomy". Perhaps that is the objective.

As for the freezing of military pay and requiring military to pay for health care, all I can say is good luck with that. The men and women serving will exit in droves.

reply to post by neo96


Are Americans really still that pompous as to suggest it as a nation alone is justified it spending more on "defense" than the rest of the world combined?

You talk about free schools like its a bad thing, what?! you prefer free wars for multi-national corporations!?! Get real.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b4fa98c4dd01.gif[/atsimg]

reply to post by ghostsoldier


if you know anything about defense the weapons systems do become obsolete at a rapid rate

its not like you can go buy or build a system and sit on for 50 years

cutting edge technology isnt cheap its not like the us governnment can run to a "walmart" or "kmart" of weapons designers or builders.


and it is the presidents and the congresses duty to use all necessary means to ensure the peace and saftey of its citizens...


i never said you have to agree with the post i made

and do not put words in my mouth i did not say

you can sit there and beleive whatever you wish.





[edit on 10-8-2010 by neo96]

I wonder how enlisted could afford their own healthcare, especially freezing raises.
Besides Tricare is crap. Nobody would want to pay for that "healthcare" anyway.

including one military contractor, would prefer to save money by freezing military pay and scaling back benefits, rather than by eliminating waste in defense contracting.

Ain't that nice ? No I meant... ain't that SICK?

Let's cut veterans and troops benefits. I mean, they are suckers in the first place to go die for corporations in foreign countries, so why not get screwed another time when they come back home? Right?

Instead, let's give that money to defense contractors who have such a PERFECT record when it comes to not wasting money...

Makes me sick.

Maybe it would be time for veterans and soldiers to hire lobbyists... or march on Washington DC... whatever they prefer.

[edit on 10-8-2010 by Vitchilo]

Originally posted by Zaxxon
I wonder how enlisted could afford their own healthcare, especially freezing raises.
Besides Tricare is crap. Nobody would want to pay for that "healthcare" anyway.

Exactly what I thought when I read that...
Which is why I think if that day comes, everyone, enlisted and officer, will leave in droves. Nobody makes the money to do the work they are asked to do and pay for the health care they receive, if one factors in all the restrictions.

Originally posted by neo96

what good does all that do for anyone when there isnt noone or anything standing between you and the dark cold abyss of those who will do us harm.

what good does all that do ?

absolutely nothing..


my thoughts feel free to disagree.

OK - I will disagree.

You are living in a fear fantasy produced by your media and govt - there is no-one wanting to 'do you harm' that the US aggressive foreign policy did not provoke in the first place.

Americans are so well armed, no-one could invade it - its a ridiculous premise.

The US could cut its defense budget to virtually zero, and you would all be safer.

reply to post by Amagnon
Politicians pretending to look to cut national defense is just politicking anyway. There are many programs that have been reported on in the past that the US government pours money into for virtually nothing.

I'm using my phone so I won't look for a source, but the Dept. Of Agriculture buys and hordes food and let's it rot so that the market for farmers have a high volume of goods being sold and still can keep prices up. If anything this substantial money could either be cut entirely (I think it was some billions a year when I read the article) or give the good away to the unfortunate. But I suppose then it'd cost too much money to grow plants.