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| Mil. Assoc. says House committee redirecting unspent Tricare funds |
| 2011-06-24 |
| A major military association that has been fighting Tricare fee hikes is angry with a House committee, saying it is raiding unspent military medical funds to pay for pet projects for members of Congress in the 2012 budget. The redirected money, which is being used to fund medical research projects, could have been used to cover the rising costs of military health care, said retired Marine Lt. Gen. Jack Klimp, president of the Springfield, Va.-based National Association for Uniformed Services (NAUS). The House Appropriations Committee took $330 million in unspent Tricare funds from the previous year to pay for 22 medical research programs requested by members of Congress, including most of the members of the committee. For example, the committee funds research into several types of cancer, including pediatric brain tumors, and pancreatic, kidney, blood and colorectal cancers that are not directly related to the military. Money also is provided for research, not requested by the Defense Department, into treatment of spinal cord injuries, transplants, controlling hemorrhage, and traumatic brain injury — that, despite having a direct military link, could duplicate other research, according to the NAUS. |
| Posted by:Pappy |