Glad to hear:
http://www.newsobserver.com/...
Sen. Kay Hagan and Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., who both face tough re-election races next year, introduced a bill on Thursday that would restore a cut to the cost of living allowance for military retirees 62 and younger.
The pension reduction was part of the bipartisan budget agreement that the House and Senate have passed to roll back across-the-board budget cuts.
“We must keep the promises we’ve made to our veterans, who have put their lives on the line to protect us, and I will be working with in the Senate to ensure they receive the benefits they have earned,” the Democratic Senator from Greensboro said in a statement on Thursday. - News Observer, 12/19/13
Here's the background on the Murray-Ryan budget:
http://www.khon2.com/...
To salvage her bipartisan deal, Democratic budget chair Patty Murray promised to push new legislation to make sure disabled veterans who lost limbs, and worse, fighting Americas wars, won't lose their retirement benefits. Even vowing to revisit the whole 6.2 billion dollar cut for military retirees.
"This action, military action doesn't take effect for two years so we welcome anybody coming with a better way to do it that want to offer it and get it through a divided congress," Sen. Patty Murray (D) Budget Cmte. Chair said.
At issue, a 1% drop in the cost of living adjustment for service members who retire after 20 years, generally people in their 40s. The cut would be restored at age 62.
In real terms, a retiring Army sergeant first class would lose $3,700 each year.
Over 20 years, that could add up to $80,000 in lost benefits.
A cut infuriating vets across the country like in this on-line petition from Iraq and Afghanistan veterans:
"Who amongst the politicians have given as much in the same conditions as I have?", Writes one vet. - Khon 2, 12/18/13
Here's what Pryor had to say:
http://www.wwlp.com/...
"These hero's lay their lives on the line for us, and they deserve us to work to fix this provision so that they can receive the full benefits that they've earned," said Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
To salvage her bipartisan deal, democratic budget chair Patty Murray promised to push new legislation to make sure disabled veterans who lost limbs, and worse, fighting Americas wars, wont lose their retirement benefits, evening vowing to revisit the whole 6.2 billion dollar cut for military retirees.
"This action, military action doesn't take effect for two years so we welcome anybody coming with a better way to do it that want to offer it and get it through a divided congress." - WWLP 22 News, 12/18/13
Pryor and Hagan are not alone in fixing this:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/...
But even before the ink dried on the agreement, some Democrats, including Sen. Murray, admitted that including disabled retirees in the provision was a mistake that needed to be reversed. Other Democrats who face tough re-election efforts next year, like Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, pledged to revisit the military pension provision.
Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi led the charge to amend the bill before it passed, as he believes it is be a huge economic burden for retiring service members.
"We're going to take one percent of [a retiree's] pension COLA [cost of living adjustment] away each year retroactively," Wicker tells OneNewsNow. "It is a different treatment than the way we're treating the rest of our pensioners. And it sounds like a small matter -- one percent of your COLA -- except that it adds up to $80,000 [in a] lifetime." - One News Now, 12/20/13
I thank the Senators for taking action on this. If you would like more information, please contact either Pryor or Hagan's offices for more details:
Pryor: (202) 224-2353
http://www.pryor.senate.gov/...
Hagan: (202) 224-6342
http://www.hagan.senate.gov/...