By MOAA Staff

Cuts to military and veterans programs proposed by Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysts “would be catastrophic” for those in uniform and their families, and would “equate to a breach of faith and trust” for all who served, a MOAA board member wrote in a recent opinion piece for The Hill newspaper.

“Military pay, benefits and health care often are seen as funding sources for other programs. But this must not be allowed to happen,” wrote Rear Adm. Tom Jurkowsky, USN (Ret), on the CBO's list of budget strategies, some of which have been called out by MOAA as unfair to servicemembers past and present.

[RELATED: MOAA Board Member Calls for Immediate Tax Relief for Military Retirees in Maryland]

Jurkowsky identifies some of the CBO's proposals related to defense and veterans spending, including disproportionate TRICARE fee increases, pay-raise caps for servicemembers, cuts to housing allowances, and reductions in military medical personnel.

The Hill is a daily newspaper and website with a targeted readership of lawmakers, lobbyists, and others with influence in Washington. It has named MOAA as one of its top lobbyists for the last 12 years.

Read Jurkowsky's full piece here.