William M. ``Mac'' Thornberry: “I think the first thing that one ought to say when looking at this issue is that the government did make a promise, and…”

“I think the first thing that one ought to say when looking at this issue is that the government did make a promise, and it is important to keep that promise, not just for the retirees, but also for the young folks who are in the military now or are thinking about getting into the military. Like many of my colleagues, I have had the experience of talking with the young 22-year-old single male in the military and asking why he is staying or whether he is going to stay in the military and the subject of health care comes up from someone that we would not think would be particularly concerned about health care. I think all of us feel the frustration that the gentleman from Colorado talked about of trying to get greater attention to this issue and trying to find a way to solve this problem, to keep that promise when there are not the base hospitals to keep the promise. So it certainly has been a difficult thing. Subvention is not a magic wand. As a matter of fact, I think there is no such thing as a magic wand, which is why we have to look at a number of options.”