October 16th, 2011 
admin Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Friday added his voice to earlier appeals by the new Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta not to further cut defense budget under proposals to rein in U.S. budget deficit.
In a letter sent to Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction Co-Chairs Representative Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator McCain urged the Committee to avoid further cuts to the defense budget and offering additional views on potential changes in military health benefits.
Former presidential aspirant threw his weight behind President Barack Obama’s proposals saying in the letter, “If your work is to be successful, it must take all steps possible to avoid further cuts to Department of Defense (DoD) spending beyond the more than $450 billion over the next 10 years that have already been directed by the President.”
McCain also endorsed Obama proposal to establish an annual enrollment fee for the military’s Tricare for Life health insurance program.
“While this fee increase would hit those age 65 and over, a group on mostly fixed incomes who are vulnerable to unanticipated changes in expenses, I believe this fee increase is a reasonable step,” McCain said in his letter.
In addition, the Republican senator supported pharmacy services proposal and the establishment of a commission to review military retirement benefits as suggested by the Obama proposals.
Echoing the concerns raised by the defense secretary Panetta in recent times. McCain said, “We must also address the threats that we will face in the future to adequately meet new and emerging challenges that may require a shift of resources and priorities.”
“Like Secretary of Defense Panetta, I do not support any proposals for any further reductions in the discretionary budget caps for security or non-security agencies beyond the limits already imposed in title I of the Budget Control Act,” said the senator.
McCain concluded with a suggestion to the Congressional Committee to “seek to restore responsible spending on the part of Congress by requiring that each appropriations line item be authorized by the relevant authorization committee charged by Congress to provide oversight of that agency’s activities and programs,” calling on the Select Committee to look, “for ways to restore fiscal discipline within Congress and to rein in pork-barrel spending.”
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