With the national debt hitting $40 trillion, pressure is building for the federal government to identify spending cuts. In the coming weeks, we can expect to hear familiar refrains: Republicans need to agree to slash defense and farm-country spending; Democrats need to agree to slash government-funded healthcare and welfare spending. Knowing Washington, it’s unlikely either party will agree to big cuts. So the best hope of budget restraint will be trimming here and there that cumulatively add up to something significant.

Buried in the House-passed defense authorization bill is a smart and fairly simple idea that could help: give the military the tools needed to test more ways to help service members quit smoking.