For example, one recent Pentagon reprogramming request wanted to take $708 million that it did not require this year for private-sector health care under the Pentagon’s Tricare system and use it for other programs. The Senate committee report noted that this wasn’t the first time that had happened. The GAO found that the Pentagon overbudgeted Tricare private-sector care costs by $772 million in fiscal 2010 and a whopping $1.36 billion in fiscal 2011.
For fiscal 2013, the Senate panel cut $807 million from this Tricare category. But the committee in effect did its own reprogramming of those funds by refusing to approve the administration’s request to increase Tricare enrollment fees, which added $273 million to the cost of the program. In addition, as has happened every year since the mid-1990s, money has been set aside for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, which fund private research on breast, prostate and other cancers, this time totaling $304 million.
This is part of the Washington budget game for defense spending. Both the Pentagon and congressional committees often redirect money to their pet projects rather than just not spending the money. National security is always the reason, whatever the program.
The current threat of an unbalanced deficit reduction plan is far more dangerous to the country than the remnants of al-Qaeda, Islamic jihadists or even China.
When the Reagan administration pushed budget cuts it hit programs for the poor and undereducated. It painted minorities who benefited from poverty programs as “welfare queens.”
Perhaps there ought to be more focus on defense contractor salaries.
Robert J. Stevens of Lockheed Martin has received on average about $20 million a year for the past five years as cost overruns of the F-35 fighter program have skyrocketed.
On May 6, Stevens reported selling 391,488 Lockheed shares for $34.2 million. That same day, using Lockheed stock options he had earned in the past, Stevens purchased an equal number — 391,488 — of shares for $24.6 million. Those transactions gave him another $10 million.
If the Reagan years had their government-created welfare queens, this past decade has seen the enrichment of Pentagon-supported “warfare millionaires.”
We can’t afford to continue pouring money mindlessly into everything with a defense label.
For previous Fine Print columns, go to washingtopost.com/fedpage.
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