Scrooge for veterans

Christmas is almost here and our congressional leaders will soon be back home, but they may be leaving a nasty present for military and veteran families under the Christmas tree.

The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, while raising military spending, would raise retiree medical deductibles, savage commissaries by gutting their budget by two-thirds – $100 million over the next few years – with no plan on how to implement the changes. Higher prices? Closing stores?

This is a major benefits cut. This, along with reducing pay raises for the active duty military by one-half percent to 1 percent, reducing housing allowance growth, and plenty of other cost-saving measures. For what? Spending cuts should not come on the backs of those that are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Please call your representative and senators now and encourage them to rework it before this travesty is approved. I sure remember them touting their support for military families during the election. Otherwise, our military and veteran families will be getting a big fat shaft for Christmas and beyond.

Gerd Scheller

Cheney