Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, appears to agree with Senate colleagues that the Pentagon’s proposed Tricare fee increases for military retirees needs an independent review. McHugh told Government Executive that he favors a “dispassionate” review, possibly conducted by the Government Accountability Office. McHugh’s counterpart, Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), reached the same conclusion at a hearing last week. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) have introduced a bill in the House that would kill the proposal and change the law to prevent DOD from altering fees without Congressional approval.
The Air Force has drastically reduced the number of eligible career fields for Active-Duty Airmen seeking reenlistment bonuses in 2026, going from 89 to 24.