Military disabled, retirees take hit under budget deal nearing passage in U.S. Senate

The Florida Times Union (Jacksonville News) ^ | 18 Dec 13 | Clifford Davis

[SkyPilot]

For Florida’s nearly 200,000 military retirees — more than any state except Texas — a budget deal moving through the U.S. Senate Wednesday is projected to shave $20 billion dollars from the country’s deficit in ways that have many veterans organizations outraged.

The legislation struck by House Budget Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan and Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray has a provision that drops the cost of living allowance for military retirees and disabled veterans to 1 percentage point below inflation. That is, if inflation for a given year is 3 percent, cost of living adjustments will rise only 2 percent until the veteran reaches 62 years of age. At that point, a “catch-up” provision the retiree’s pension would go up to where it would have been without the COLA reduction.

It may not seem like much, but it adds up, according to Sen. Roger Wicker, (R-Miss.).

“An E-7 (e.g. an Army sargeant first class or a Navy chief petty officer) retiring at age 40 today would experience the loss of $83,000 in purchasing power over the course of the 22 years that the pensioner would experience between age 40 and 62,” Wicker said Tuesday.

For many lawmakers, the deal presented a tough choice. The military has been stretched thin under the cuts imposed by sequestration. The Ryan-Murray budget offered a way out by restoring more than $31 billion to the Department of Defense.

“I did not want to have to make the choice between working-age military retiree COLAs and stopping the devastating cuts of sequestration, but that is the choice the House was given on Dec. 12,” said U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.). “The final agreement did not please everyone, but its framework delivered long-overdue certainty to the appropriations process and helped to ensure military readiness.”

[SkyPilot]

Shame on Boehner and Paul Ryan.

Shame.

[darkwing104]

My Rep voted for it...needless to say he won't make it pass the primary. The TEA party and the retirees are now unified against the SOB

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Dty/Retiree ping.

[SeminoleCounty]

Isn’t there anyone running against Ryan in ‘14? He needs to be primaried.

I am so tired of the Wisconsin Liberal RINOs like Ryan, Reniece Priebus, and Scott Walker (he supports Illegal Alien Amnesty...not a conservative)

[FlingWingFlyer]

Barry is going to need the money to prepare “welcome baskets” for the 30 to 45 million illegal aliens the GOOBers are going to give amnesty to.

[Old Sarge]

AND EVERY CONGRESSCRITTER WHO VOTED FOR THIS...

...will be re-elected.

[ConorMacNessa]

I listen to WMAL radio on my way into work every day. "Mornings on the Mall" with Brian Wilson and Larry O'Donnell. Today's topic of the morning was the despicable move by Congress to cut Military Retirees and Disabled Vets pensions. I called in while driving down 16th Street into the Belly of the Beast and told the screener what I thought. While I was waiting on hold, five or six other vets/retirees made it on the air and said exactly the same thing I would have said. Unfortunately, time ran out and I didn't get my call in.

I'm firing up my email - the useless feeders who putatively "represent" me in Congress are about to get an earful!

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

O stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that we lie here, obedient to their command.

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Venturer]

When we saw Ryan paired with the Commie Pat Murray we knew it wasn’t going to come out good.

[Jet Jaguar]

Bump

[blueunicorn6]

I wouldn’t mind it and I wouldn’t bitch if I thought that taking some of my pay would save the country. It won’t. They aren’t even trying. It’s all just coliseum and throw the retired Veterans to the lions for the amusement of the Democrat base. I signed on to be an American Soldier with all that that entails. I didn’t sign up to be sacrificial entertainment for the Democrats and neither did my family. They think this is just sticking it to a bunch of guys. It isn’t. It hits women and children, too.

[ladyjane]

Fire all those jackasses in Washington.

[SkyPilot]

To: SkyPilot I wouldn’t mind it and I wouldn’t bitch if I thought that taking some of my pay would save the country. It won’t. They aren’t even trying. It’s all just coliseum and throw the retired Veterans to the lions for the amusement of the Democrat base

I am with your blue. In fact, I stuck my neck out last year during the Fiscal Cliff talks. If going to a "chained CPI" would save money for our exploding entitlements (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Obama Care), then I would be willing to do my part towards deficit reduction.

But reality gets in the way every day - the Giveaway Programs give away taller, larger stacks of ca$h, and to "pay for them" we rob the mechanical engineer at NASA who paid for his own schooling and is trying to better his family, and our nation.

I think this "oversight" (that's what the apologists are now calling it) is a hand grenade that is about to explode on the political landscape. Obama will say it wasn't his hand grenade, its the first he has heard about these grenades, and anyway, he cannot be held responsible. Ryan will puff up his overinflated ego, tell everyone a solution will be in works, and then will dodge questions as to how stupid he had to have been to leave that provision in the bill (cuts for disabled veterans).

[SkyPilot]

Isn’t there anyone running against Ryan in ‘14? He needs to be primaried.

I am not sure but I will check. Thanks.

[ObamahatesPACoal]

I think Paul Ryan could survive a primary. Maybe a third party could take votes away from him and let the Rat win.

If others can get primaried they could kick Ryan off the budget leadership and put Amash in.

[stanne]

How about when we saw him paired up with the slippery unprincipled Romney who couldn’t stick to a right of center position long enough to debate Obama after tearing apart every republican and conservative in the arena

Come on

[blueunicorn6]

You are right. Have a Merry Christmas!