Inhofe, Hagan seek to reverse military’s tuition assistance cuts

Inhofe called the decision a “travesty,” and said in a
statement that President Obama “wants Americans to feel the pain of the
arbitrary across-the-board budget cuts from sequestration.”

{mosads}Inhofe suggested on Fox News Thursday that the Pentagon
should instead cut its biofuels program, something that’s long been a target of
Republicans.

Hagan wasn’t as critical of the administration as Inhofe,
but called the Pentagon’s move “shortsighted.”

Hagan said that about 300,000 service members used the tuition assistance program in fiscal 2012.

Pentagon press secretary George Little defended the services’
“tough choices” about what to cut, while blaming Congress for being unable to
stop sequester.

“Let me be clear: We are here because of sequestration on
tuition assistance,” Little said at a Tuesday press briefing. “If sequestration
were averted, we may be facing a different set of choices on these and other
programs.”

While the services might oppose the Inhofe-Hagan
amendment reversing their budgeting decisions, they do support the CR overall — both the House and Senate
versions include a full-year Defense appropriations bill that will give them
more flexibility to move money into operations and maintenance accounts facing shortfalls.

The Senate will continue votes on amendments to the CR on Thursday.