Nationally syndicated talk show host Hugh Hewitt and Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) agree on just about everything. That's why Tuesday's heated confrontation over military spending is so striking.
Hewitt invited Inhofe on to discuss the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that quietly passed the Senate yesterday with no real objection from Republicans. According to Military Times, the act will increase spending $64 billion more for "overseas contingency funds, including about $5 billion for the current fight in Iraq and Syria." To pay for President Obama's adventures in Iraq and Syria, the NDAA will reduce pay to our troops:
In addition, lawmakers approved trimming back the housing allowances paid to troops who live off base. The Pentagon initially sought to reduce the tax-free housing benefit by 5 percent by reducing the 100 percent of troops' estimated housing costs that are covered now down to an average of 95 percent — in effect making troops pay 5 percent of their housing with out-of-pocket cash. The new deal allowing only a 1 percent reduction for one year pushes off future decisions for now.
As Hewitt explains it, the agreement "cuts the expected military pay hike from 1.8% to 1%, reduces the troops’ housing allowance to inflation minus 1% (a direct hit on most military families) and forces a co-pay for prescriptions on all military families."
Hewitt hammered Inhofe and all Congressional Republicans for not speaking out about the cuts to our troops' pay:
HH: But Senator, you could always restore that in the new year, and I have to give voice to the people who have been writing me all day. They are pissed. And they are so upset that Republicans have agreed to this in order just to keep the record going. They really, I hope some Republican stands up and filibusters it. Maybe it will be you, because these men and women, I just finished reading Toby Harnden’s book, he’s going to be on today, they’re struggling with PTSD, they’re struggling with multiple deployments. They’ve got no money, no disposable income, and basically, what the lame duck Congress is doing is paying for the war in Iraq and Syria by cutting active duty servicemen’s benefits.
JI: And we don’t like it. We don’t like it.
HH: Then don’t vote for it.
The exchange got even more animated:
HH: But you know what happens when the basic housing allowance for an E-3 doesn’t keep up with inflation. I talked to Marlon the Marine, who’s my associate producer out there, who spent four years in the Marine Corps, did combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. And when you hit the basic housing allowance, you’re hitting the wife at home. They can’t keep up with inflation, and it’s all because you guys wouldn’t stand and fight. And I think they would have folded if anyone had made an issue about this, but you guys, honestly, where….
JI: Oh, no. All right, now I’ve got to interrupt you, Hugh.
HH: Go ahead.
JI: What do you think was done to the housing allowance? What has been told to you?
HH: You have reduced it 1% under inflation. Their rise will be 1% less than inflation by market.
JI: Okay.
HH: Am I right about that?
JI: Yeah, it’s 1%. The reason I say that is because it started out being 7%.
HH: Well, just because you stopped the pain, you know, I’m glad you guys fought them off. But why didn’t you take it to the public? You would win this. We won this last year. Lindsey Graham won this. You could turn around right now and scuttle this deal and win this, Senator. Everybody stands with the troops. They hate this small beer crap going after the young kids in the military who fought this war in order to fund the President’s, I don’t know, you know the stuff that we spend money on that’s ridiculous at the Pentagon.
JI: Oh, I know it is. Hugh, you’re singing my song. It’s exactly, and that’s what I have said more than anyone else on the floor of the United States Senate, how much we are blowing, and of course, I concentrate on what he’s spending on global warming and all of his environmental stuff. That’s what’s killing us, militarily. That’s the reason we’re in the position we’re in, in addition all those systems that I told you six years ago that he cut to start his disarming of America. He has taken out $487 billion dollars since that time. And so he goes through sequestration. That’s, any of the generals will tell you, we cannot do that. Right now, this is the first time, look, I just got back from Ukraine. I was over there. The wonderful thing happened over there. Poroshenko, they had the greatest election in the history. It’s the first time in 96 years that he communists will not have one seat in their parliament. It’s a huge success. We’re over there right now trying to do something for them. We don’t have the resources to do it, because of this administration.
HH: And we’re sending three thousand kids to fight Ebola in Africa, and while they’re over there, we’re insisting that their spouses and their children increase their co-pays on their prescriptions.
JI: And I was the one that was yelling and screaming about that, and was unable to stop that from happening.
HH: Well, you guys didn’t, why didn’t you go to the people?
JI: Well, at that time, now keep in mind, at that time, and even today until January, the Democrats had control of the Senate.
HH: But you can turn around right now. You can walk over to Carl Levin, Senator Inhofe, and say Carl, deal’s off. I’m hearing from the military. We’re not doing this. I’m going to filibuster it, and I’m going to stop it. Would you do that? Because you can stop this.
JI: Well, that is over in the House right now. There are going to, and in fact, I think it may be already done, I don’t know. Where you and I differ is I’m not going to oppose the Senate, the bill. This is the one thing, if you read the Constitution, there are two things we’re supposed to be doing here. One is defending America, and that’s what this is all about, and the other thing is roads and highways. In Article I, Section 8, that’s all we’re supposed to be doing. But this administration, and I’ve been the one talking about this. And we’re to a point now where…
HH: That’s why, you know, Senator, that’s why you…
JI: …we’re now going to take over control of the Senate, and then we can do it right.
HH: You and Buck McKeon, you and Buck McKeon are the guys I expected to stop them looting the uniformed military, and you guys didn’t do it. I’m really, I just can’t believe this. I really…
JI: Well…
HH: …that I’m arguing with James Inhofe, who is a stalwart. You could still stop this, Senator. I hope you will. It’s outrageous.
JI: Thank you, Hugh.
HH: …that these kids are taking a cut at Christmas time. $200 bucks for an E-3, 21 year old next year in a basic housing allowance. Senator, thank you for joining me. I’m just very disappointed. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.
