Defense officials fear money will go to people at the expense of weaponshttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37028501/ns/politics-washington_post/The Pentagon, not usually known for its frugality, is pleading with Congress to stop spending so much money on the troops.
Through nine years of war, service members have seen a healthy rise in pay and benefits, leaving most of them better compensated than their peers in the private sector.
Congress has been so determined to take care of troops and their families that for several years running it has overruled the Pentagon and mandated more generous pay raises than requested by the Bush and Obama administrations. It has also rejected attempts by the Pentagon to slow soaring health-care costs — which Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has said are "eating us alive" — by hiking co-pays or raising premiums.
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"Both sides of the aisle are trying to send a very clear message to our military that we appreciate their service," said Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and chairman of its military personnel subcommittee. She said the Pentagon needed to do a better job of setting priorities. "We end up with a false choice — are we going to fund weapons or are we going to fund people? The reality is, we need both."
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