Unspent military retirement funds will be tapped to help build border wall

[left-of-center2012]

Pentagon officials found extra money in military retirement accounts that will be diverted to help fund construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Defense Department budget experts found an extra $224 million from the military’s new Blended Retirement System because fewer service members than expected opted into the new system in 2018, leaving some of that money unspent, according to the newspaper.

The shift in money out of the retirement accounts will not impact any military benefits for current service members or retirees.

In total, according to the Journal, $6.1 billion in military funds will be diverted for the border wall. The other sources include:

$604 million that was supposed to support Afghan security forces.
$251 million in Pentagon funds for destroying chemical weapons.
$343 million “in spending from Air Force weapons programs where officials have negotiated reductions or canceled systems,” The Journal said.
Some other military construction funding for military bases may also be used to fund the border wall.
Funding initially slated for construction projects for military bases across the world could also go toward the border wall. 19.1K

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/08/02/unspent-military-retirement-funds-will-be-tapped-to-help-build-border-wall/

[marble falls]

1. Fucking assholes.

[Tanuki]

2. Those funds could have gone to alleviate the additional tax burden on gold star families

caused by the GOP tax gift to billionaires.

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/04/24/politics/gold-star-families-higher-taxes/index.html?r=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dscc.org%2Fpress-release%2Fmcconnell-led-senate-has-essentially-shut-down-two-months-since-last-roll-call-vote-to-pass-legislation%2F

...."President Donald Trump's tax overhaul is forcing some military families to pay thousands of dollars more in taxes on their survivor benefits, according to a nonprofit organization that helps those families.

Spouses who signed over their earned benefits to their children -- a move that is done in order to ensure the family of a deceased service member temporarily receives all their benefits -- saw an increase in taxes this year because the new tax law reclassified how children's assets are taxed, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors says.


In past years, Gold Star families who chose this option paid an average of 12% to 15% in taxes on that income. Following the tax reform laws that went into effect in 2018, that tax rate jumped to 37%, according to the nonprofit."....(more)

[DeminPennswoods]

3. DoD is going to have trouble justifying more money now

They obviously have more than they know what to do with.