including $60 million for a tricare facility at holloman air force base. these projects will benefit national security. they will create jobs and will meet our obligations to the men and women who are serving their country. the federal government also plays a very important role in new mexico's water infrastructure. we are an arid western state, prudent water management is crucial for our economy. we cannot afford the waste that comes from neglected infrastructure. this bill contains over $120 million in funding for federal water assets in our state and includes the navajo pipeline and the middle rio grande project. we've been struggling with intense drought. rural areas in small towns in particular have been deeply affected. some small communities are seeing their wells run dry. they need help and they need it now. the $1.7 billion in the usda

the question is the cola -1 provision compounds on the changes we have made an tricare? >> that's correct. over and above tricare. >> certainly we believe we should grandfather any changes to retirement and we also believe for retirement many to look holistically. cola -1 might be right for the future and it might not so absolutely the cola -1 is important. the tricare increase that we have talked about in 2012 was an increase of $60 a year above as our chart shows. it's now up to after being indexed, 548 a year. that compares for civil servants to $820 a month, a month. so yes there is an increase in my view, $60 a year as indexed and not as significant as the cola money -- cola -1 we are talking about. >> it's over and above it. and again my concern has always been and when i was serving in the army many years ago probably before you guys were even born, we were talking to people who would be reenlisting or making career decisions and it was always based on what was promised to them at this time and i think that was the reason i was bringing that up. general dempsey sa

we have to pay for part b now have to pay for tricare for life, too? increasing the co-payments on the medical cost. it raises the pay and there's a lot of things it seems we are an easy target and that is what really bothers me. >> general sullivan, what kind of message we send with this and what we need to learn from this? >> as i said in my remarks, we are causing our people in uniform to think about the issue come to think about an issue which they don't understand, and by the way i don't want to prescribe any motives to any one on what ever happens. >> but did we forget -- i'm worried what are our priorities? >> i think that's it. you have to decide. what we spend it on our security or on other things? and i think that is a decision that has to be made. right now i'm sure it appears to some of the troops that all of this is being placed on their back for the last 25 years beginning in panama right through to this day when we are fighting in afghanistan. by the way, now we've changed the formula. i don't get. >> i think he made a great point. first

i pay for part b and now i have to pay for tricare for life too? increasing co-pays on medical cost. co-pay raises or even freezing pay. a lot of things seems we're an easy target. that's what really bothers me. >> general sullivan, general tilleli, what kind of message do we send from this and what kind of message do we learn from this? >> as i said in my remarks we're causing our people in uniform to think about, to think about the issue. to think about an issue which they don't understand. and by the way, i don't want to ascribe any motives to anyone on whatever happened. >> did we forget? i'm worried. what are our priorities? >> well, i think that's it. you have to decide how will you, how will we spend the national budget? where will we spend it? will we spend it on our security or on other things? and i think that's a decision that has to be made. and right now it appears, i'm sure it appears, to some of the troops that all of this and their family, all of this is being placed on their back. go out here and fight for the last 25 years beginni

they were told in 1995 you're going to have tricare. know, if you don't want to go to a military base you retirees. >> brown: health care. >> right, we will have the family is going to be $460 a year and we're going to raise it every year to reflect the cost of medical inflation. they didn't raise it until 2012. in 2001 think put in another program called tricare for life which means you don't have to buy medicap insurance when you get old. when you add all of these things up you're much better off than the day you joined. so this idea you're breaking promise, and you know, the interesting thing, it wasn't a book room deal. paul ryan is the chairman of the house budget committee. this man want, and what he said is, this $6,000 you're saving i could use basically to buy more flight hours. i can do, you know, more training. >> brown: this is after all part of a much larger debate, right, about military comprehension, salaries, health benefits that's affecting, of course, all sectors. >> it is. but this is a-- a heart and core of our milit

current budget is ab a sobbed in personnel costs, and when you look at the outyears, the growth of tricare, where are we headed in terms of personnel costs inside the budget over a 15 or 20-year period? >> right. i think when chairman dempsey was referring to the 50 president, he was including civilians -- >> right. yes, right. >> you also have to ask do you include benefits as well as direct pay. frankly, it's probably going to stay stable. there was some initial information, and the information's all over the place -- >> even if you don't, even if you don't do reforms, it will stay stable? >> if we do reforms, the percentage would probably stay stable. >> without reform. >> without reform. without reform it might go up a little bit. with reform it's going to go down a little bit. but again, the more sophisticated way, we believe, to look at it is what is the best way to recruit and retain the best america has to offer? take the best possible care we can of them and get the best value for the american taxpayer. that's an isolated look. it's knotts a what's the right share of the budget. y

$1 billion increase to the national guard and reserve equipment account, includes $218 million for tricare to ensure service members and their families won't pay higher out-of-pocket costs for medical care, $25 million to fully implement the victims counsels so victims of sexual assault in the military through this appropriation will have the advocates, have the counselors and have the champions they need. we've increased an already robust budget for suicide prevention by $20 million to encourage the department to expand community-based initiatives offering greater support as well to the guard and reserve. we made sure that the medical care our service members receive will still be the most advanced in the world. it adds $200 million for peer-reviewed medical research programs and no apologies. some members may come to the floor and criticize the department of defense engaged in medical research. i can stand and defend every single line-item. and i'll tell you, it will not only benefit our military and their families, it will benefit america and the world for this medical research to take

>> tricare is a good system.benefit. >> a lot of people stay in their jobs because they like the health care. a lot of people mooity stay in the military because they like the tricare. >> again, some facilities are great. some doctors are great. it's get not guilty the door to that doctor. it's the wait times and the confusion. between you and your doctor. >> which the u.k. plains about and canada is beginning to complain about. thanks so much. >> thanks. >>> 21 minutes before the bottom of the hour. he's one of the most popular pastors in america. but that didn't protect rick warren from a health problem. that's obesity. what he did to shed the pounds and live longer, next. and eric holder wants you to work for him. so he's spending taxpayer money to make it happen. that story ahead. from here i can see the prompter (horn, ding, ding) how long have i had my car insurance? i don't know, eight, ten years. i couldn't tell you but things were a lot less expensive back then. if you're 50 or over you should take a new

i know, particularly because in texas tricare spays the lowst. private sector pays more. but to have that medicaid and medicare would help us have more physicians accept more medicaid patients, i think. >> one of the thing the commission looked at in fact what are the incentives for them to participate in the medicaid program. what are the barriers. we need to understand more about the payment levels wrch managed care plans. we pleaf that the primary care -- improving access to primary care is of course a critical part of the medicaid program. and one that it's very important to make sure we get full participation there. but the -- gentleman's time is expired. thank you. i know, we ran over time. i appreciate the committee having the hearing today. hopefully we'll come back and visit it again. >> thank you. i now -- the chair recognizes for five minutes. >> thank you very much. i would like to thangt witnesses. one famous person once said nothing more permanent than a temporary federal government program. i think probably president reagan. but it could have been my good f

i will give you another great example what's happening for our veterans also is this week 189 tricareg that is going to allow them to save $50 million a year. you saw $52 million spent by this administration to pay for commercial advertisements for obamacare magic johnson and olonzo morning. >> it's easier to get welfare than it is to get veterans disability benefits. could it have something to do with this fact. the overwhelming majority of voted for obama and the majority of veterans did not? do you think that has something to do with it? >> it has a lot to do with it. everything in this administration is definitely political. what further is incredible is when you think about what percentage of the american population are talking about military retirees as you know that 1% cost of living allowance is going to be taken away until you get to 62 because i guess they figure you can still go out and work even though you have given 20 plus years of your life to service. but it is incredible to understand that they don't recognize this service. that they don't understand that this is a co

medicare, that's for seniors, if you're not in medicaid -- that's for the poor -- if you're not on tricareher your employer has to provide adequate coverage or you have to go out and buy it yourself. and that's why many people are being told they have to go to these obamacare exchanges and sign up for health care. but here's the irony. today millions more people are uninsured than yesterday because of this law. on one side of the ledger, six million cancellations so far. you've heard about them. and many more people who have what are called mini med plans, those are going to be illegal now too. on the other side of the ledger 800,000 signed up for medicaid -- they're covered -- and two million supposedly enrolled in private health plans opbd exchanges. but some of those people haven't actually paid their premiums. >> they need to check to see if they're enrolled. the other important date, march 31. why is that important? spaeup >> that is end of open enrollment. that means you can sign up for health care. but there are many exceptions. if you change your address, change your family size, c