Congressman Mike Honda reply to Oppose Misguided Military Health Fee Increases

Since 01-17-06

From: Congressman Mike Honda [mailto:mike.honda@mail.house.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 10:37 AM
Subject: Re: Oppose Misguided Military Health Fee Increases

Dear Mr. Santos:

Thank you for contacting me regarding health benefits for members of the U.S. National Guard and Reserve. I understand your frustration, and I welcome the opportunity to respond to you on this important national issue.

As you may know, a report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) concluded that more than 21 percent of National Guard and Reserve members lack basic heath insurance and are not reimbursed for pre-deployment medical and dental screening. Not only should the cost of such screening be paid by the Pentagon on the basis of simple fairness, it also should be covered in order to guarantee the success of the mission. Sending individuals into a combat environment who are not in a physical capacity to cope with difficult wartime conditions puts both soldiers and the missions at risk.

Earlier this year, the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to make the Department of Defense's health program for military dependents, known as TRICARE, available to reserve personnel. The provision was later omitted from the bill before it reached the floor, as its opponents claimed its cost would have exceeded caps on mandatory spending. The House narrowly rejected a motion to recommit the bill and restore the TRICARE provision.

You may be interested to learn that the Senate, however, has added a provision providing TRICARE to reservists to the pending defense authorization bill. On July 21, the Senate approved a Graham-Clinton amendment to allow non-deployed reservists to enroll in TRICARE. The fate of the Senate authorization bill, however, remains unresolved.

I understand the importance of providing our nation's guard and reservists with proper healthcare. Please rest assured that I intend to support measures that provide TRICARE to our nation's guard and reservists. I will keep your thoughts in mind should any new developments arise in the House.

Once again, thank you for sharing your views with me. I hope that you will continue to keep me apprised of issues important to you.

Sincerely,
Mike Honda
Member of Congress

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