President Trump rejects Pentagon proposal to cut U.S. military health care by $2.2 billion

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had rejected a Pentagon proposal to cut funding for healthcare among U.S. military members by $2.2 billion.

“A proposal by Pentagon officials to slash Military Healthcare by $2.2 billion dollars has been firmly and totally rejected by me. We will do nothing to hurt our great Military professionals & heroes as long as I am your President,” Trump said in a Twitter post.

Politico reported on Sunday that U.S. Department of Defense officials were preparing the proposal of the cost-cutting review to Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

The media company said that 9.5 Million active-duty personnel, military retirees, and their dependents rely on the military health system. It also said that the military’s government-run healthcare network operates hundreds of facilities around the world.

“Secretary Esper and President Trump, it’s a president’s job to protect the health and safety of our troops and their families. Gutting the military health care system — no less during a global pandemic — is unacceptable,” Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden tweeted on Monday.