Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) have submitted legislations backed by the Air Force Association and 34 other military support associations that would set caps on health care cost increases for military retirees under 65 and their families. The proposed bill seeks limits on increases to enrollment fees, prescription drugs, and deductibles. The Pentagon already has signaled its intent to renew the push to impose higher fees on military retirees by including nearly $2 billion in expected savings in the 2008 budget proposal. Hagel asserted, “It is wrong to increase healthcare fees on the men and women who have already contributed greatly to our nation before addressing current inefficiencies in the Tricare system.”
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
