Is Tricare Fee Hike Dead?: The House Armed Services Committee backed its subcommittee on military personnel in prohibiting the Pentagon from increasing Tricare fees for military retirees under age 65—at least until Dec. 31, 2007. The committee added $735 million to the Administration’s 2007 budget proposal to offset what the Pentagon cut. House authorizers say delaying any fee increases until the end of 2007 will provide time for outside reviews and creation of a “comprehensive policy and fiscal basis” to sustain the Tricare program. Senators appear headed in a similar direction on the Tricare issue.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
