Political Quotes

“the number of retirees over 65 is roughly 1.4 million persons. Under the Warner amendment, as well as the Johnson amendment, they are now taken back into the existing infrastructure that cares for active duty and under-65 persons. Anyone would know that with 1.4 million now given the opportunity to come back in, you would have to augment and refurbish that system. This will be a justifiable issue before the Congress very quickly. I am certain the Secretary of Defense--the next Secretary--in the posture statement of the next President will say: All right, Congress; you said we are to take them back. We are happy to take them back, but give us the funds to refurbish and augment that system. That will be done. That system will be prepared to take back these people, and at the same time, you are saying to these people while we put the infrastructure in place, you may decide not to use it and go off here and avail yourself of other taxpayer dollars--namely, paying a premium of 70-plus percent, in most cases, to go into the private sector. Of course, there is no augmentation to the private sector. The private sector could probably absorb this class. There could be a competition between the private sector and the military infrastructure. But the military infrastructure has to be put into place. As you say, very little would have to be done in the private sector to absorb them.”