|
|
Change Your Life! |
Bush and Gore on the soldier's life |
|||||||
|
News
|
||||||||
August 23, 2000
WASHINGTON (AP) - Disagreeing over a missile defense shield and nuclear arms, presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore are tangling over sky-high strategic questions in their military policies. But neither has forgotten about the soldier on the ground. From the earliest months of his candidacy, Republican Bush has proposed a dlrs 1 billion a year pay raise over and above the increases that military personnel have been seeing. And Democrat Gore has weighed in with proposals of his own to improve the soldier's life. Outlining his ideas Monday to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Milwaukee, Bush accused the administration of U.S. President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore of letting military morale and manpower slip. But unlike Bush, Gore is a veteran of a foreign war - Vietnam. The campaign debates have also included the question of a national missile defense. Bush is pushing for an ambitious and quick deployment. Gore prefers a limited system that could be negotiated with the Russians who are partners in a treaty that forbids such shields. In all, Bush has proposed spending dlrs 20 billion more over five years for weapons research and development. He has also proposed reducing the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile and suggested he would do so even if the Russians don't follow suit.
Gore says unilateral cuts could upset the nuclear balance. On other issues: - Bush would raise military pay by dlrs 1 billion a year for five years on top of the dlrs 76 billion increase approved by Congress and signed by Clinton this month. Bush says the typical soldier would earn about dlrs 750 more in the first year from his plan. Gore supported the 3.7 percent pay increase enacted this month; his position on further increases is unclear. - Gore and Bush generally favor re-enlistment bonuses and higher pay for special skills. - Gore says more pre-emptive diplomacy would limit the need to send soldiers to new crises abroad. Bush says he would review overseas deployments with the aim of reducing the number of troops on foreign soil. - Bush proposes spending dlrs 310 million to speed the improvement of schools on or near military bases. He favors unspecified increases in housing allowances or renovations to ensure service members "no longer have to tolerate substandard housing." - Gore says he would ensure "all military members and families live in adequate, affordable housing," by expanding the Clinton administration's effort to improve services. He would "put the private sector to work building, owning, and managing housing for the military," and spend more on employment services and continuing education for military spouses, child care and steps to improve health care. |
