“Today, the Military Personnel Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget for the Defense Health Program.

 “For the first time in three years, the Department of Defense has not proposed massive TRICARE fee increases as part of their budget request. The increases proposed in previous years would have provided large savings for the department, but most of the savings would have been the result of raising fees so high that large numbers of beneficiaries would choose to leave the system. We are encouraged that the department has not chosen to pursue that course of action this year.

 “The Secretary of Defense has said that his intent was to fully fund military health care in the fiscal year 2010 budget, and then engage Congress in a dialogue about what comes next. We will obviously have to wait to start that conversation until the President’s appointees are in place, but we look forward to the discussion this committee has been trying have with the department for years. Our beneficiaries deserve no less.  

 “We must now closely examine the budget proposal to see if it is indeed ‘fully funded.’ I should mention that we have only had the budget justification materials for about 36 hours, and are still awaiting answers from the department on various issues. It would be helpful if our witnesses could offer any insights they may possess on how certain amounts were chosen and various decisions made.

 “During our annual reviews of the Defense Health Program budget, we always ask questions about how the proposed budget will support our deployed service members and their families. In light of recent events, we will undoubtedly focus additional attention on how this proposed budget will improve mental health services, as well as any unfunded mental health requirements the services may have. 

 “For our witness panel, we have the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Defense for Health Affairs, Mr. Allen Middleton, representing the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Until recently, Mr. Middleton was the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Budget and Financial Planning, so he will be able to answer our budget questions in great detail.

 "We also have all of the service surgeons general, Lieutenant General James Roudebush from the Air Force, Vice Admiral Adam Robinson from the Navy, and Lieutenant General Eric Schoomaker from the Army.

 “General Roudebush, I understand that you will be retiring in August, and that this may be your last appearance before this subcommittee. I would like to thank you for your service, for the quiet determination with which you have led the Air Force Medical Service, and the unwavering commitment you have displayed for our men and women in uniform. You will be missed, and we wish you well in your future endeavors.”