"The second phase could cut even further. The law creates a bipartisan commission charged with finding an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade, and includes a trigger that will automatically enact deep reductions in military spending if the commission fails or deadlocks. It’s not yet clear what will go, although Medicaid, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits are exempted. But it is clear that most Republicans value lower taxes over large military expenditures."
Actually that's not clear to me. But I'm wondering in particular about the reference to veterans' benefits being exempted. I looked through the White House fact sheet and CBO report that Doug linked to, and I didn't see that. The fact sheet does say that the automatic sequester would exempt "civilian and military retirement", which seems
narrower than Veterans' benefits (medical care?)
The CBO paper says that the security category for the caps includes the Department of Veterans Affairs (footnote 1), which I think is what SA and Doug may have been referring to earlier today in the "Cui malo?" thread.
So I'm just not seeing what the reference could be based on.
Just wondering.
Seth