Perf Perf First Letter, Front of Book (Page 1)
February 2010
The Honorable Carl Levin
Chairman, Committee on Armed Services
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
2010 is a crucial year for national defense and our currently serving and retired military families.
In this new legislative year, I write to urge your support on two particularly important priorities.
1. FOLD WITH ADDRESS SHOWING. 2. TAPE, DO NOT STAPLE, LETTER CLOSED FOR MAILING. 3. AFFIX STAMP.
First, it is essential to sustain the Defense budget at levels required to meet pressing requirements
for both personnel and weapons/equipment programs. In times of mounting deficits, some are
tempted to cut back on personnel and family support programs. That would be a tragic mistake.
Despite increases in force levels, deployment requirements will increase even faster with the
planned force build-up in Afghanistan — significantly increasing the already intolerable burdens im-
posed on military families and compounding risks of traumatic injuries from repeated deployments.
These terrible sacrifices haven’t yet caused major retention problems — but that’s no reason to as-
sume military families will tolerate such conditions indefinitely. Despite good-faith efforts to sup-
port their needs and those of the wounded, many urgent shortfalls remain.
Second, I urge your continued vigilance in preserving the unique military health care benefit that is
an essential offset to the extraordinary demands and sacrifices inherent in a service career. The
uniformed services community is grateful for Congress’ strong support on this issue, but benefi-
ciary concerns remain high.
In that regard, it is essential to protect against any unintended adverse consequences from national
health care reform on uniformed service or VA health coverage, including TRICARE For Life, as
well as to guard against disproportional fee increases such as those proposed in the recent past.
You and the Armed Services Committee have been the champions in protecting military benefi-
ciaries on these issues in the past, and we depend on you for continued leadership in support of
currently serving and retired servicemembers and their families and survivors.
Sincerely,
Letters_2010_QG.indd 1 1/7/10 9:18 AM
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