Posted on 01/07/2014 5:01:43 PM PST by SkyPilot
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said Tuesday that he cannot support Sen. Kelly Ayotte's (R-N.H.) bill to repeal $6 billion in cuts to military pensions because of the way it offsets the costs.
Levin initially told reporters Tuesday that he would back Ayotte's bill, providing a big boost to the effort to reverse the military retiree cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) reduction included in the last month’s budget deal.
But a Levin aide said that the Armed Services chairman endorsed Ayotte's bill before realizing that it restored the cuts by preventing illegal immigrants from claiming a child tax credit.
"Sen. Levin would support legislation to repeal the military pension cuts if such an amendment didn’t endanger underlying legislation and if he supported the offset," the aide said. "He doesn’t support the offset in Sen. Ayotte's legislation, so he couldn’t offer support for her legislation."
Levin's reversal on Ayotte's bill highlights the difficulty that lawmakers have in reversing the military pension cut.
While one-in-three lawmakers support restoring the $6 billion cut to military retirement benefits, there is no bipartisan agreement on how the offset would be paid for.
Levin, for instance, would back a measure from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to offset the cost by closing overseas corporate tax loopholes. But that's a non-starter with Republicans.
Republicans have coalesced around Ayotte’s legislation and a companion measure in the House, which pays for the $6 billion by preventing illegal immigrants from claiming a child tax credit.
Republican lawmakers are also pushing the appropriations chairs to include the proposal in the omnibus spending bill that could be released as early as Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
How many times do you think that Senate Democrats can favor illegal aliens stealing $4.2 Billion per year in child tax credits over military widows, disabled veterans, and honorably retired veteran heroes - - before someone notices?
ping
Ayotte has turned into a sick, pathetic joke. It’s such a shame what Washington does to people.
Levin is playing the Stupak game. Its just a matter of which lobbying firm gives him the deal he wants.
You’re in favor of the child tax credit for illegals?
My apologies, I misread the article.
>> How many times do you think that Senate Democrats can favor illegal aliens stealing $4.2 Billion per year in child tax credits over military widows, disabled veterans, and honorably retired veteran heroes
Democrat politicians are for the most part socialist scumbags.
Illegal aliens have been nothing but a drain on our country. This is just one example. They use our schools, they overwhelm our emergency rooms they kill our people on the highways and rape and kill our wives and daughters.
How is Ayotte coming across as a "sick joke"?
I’d say the GOP should just refuse to pass anything in the house, but of course, that would upset the Dems.
Of course, since many in the GOP allowed it to begin with, it must be just more lesser evil. So that’s OK. We should keep voting for that. It’s good for America’s vets. Really. The dems are worse. Really.
Signed, Normie. Father of one of the screwed vets.
Even though she’s right on this one, and this is a no brainer, you are right, Ayotte is still a sick, pathetic McCain lovin’ joke.
She is actually trying to do the right thing and protect military families. It is Carl Levin who is the villain here.
Cold comfort there.
In the House, we have Paul "Judas" Ryan, who co-authored the military pension cut (while being careful to protect his own).
Oh well, so many traitors on both sides it isn't always easy these days to determine who the good guy is anymore. Is it?
We cannot count on the Republicans to be our friends anymore. Paul Ryan being a prime example.
Bless your son or daughter for serving.
I am praying for some Psalm 3 justice these days.
In one sense it looks like that. But look at it another way.
There were enough GOP that can rightfully take the blame for this happening to begin with. It happened pretty fast overall and people didn’t have a lot of time to get aware, much less riled up about it.
Now here comes the other GOP members on white horses to the rescue. In the leadup to an election, during a time that it’s in the process of caving on ILLEGAL immigration.
Nothing these people do is to benefit anyone but themselves and the liberal agenda. And none of McCain’s lackies is ever to be trusted at face value.
They caused this and now want to look like the good guys. I wonder why.
Thanks. It just really fries my ass that these people get away with what they do and then get our votes. Well not mine, but many.
“Born down in a dead mans town.
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground.
‘Til you spend half your life just a covering up
Like a dog that’s been beat too much.
Born in the USA!
I was born in the USA!
I was born in the USA!
Had a brother who was at Khe Sanh
Fighting the North and the Viet Cong.
They’re still there.
He’s all gone.
Born in the USA!
I was born in the USA!
I was born in the USA!
Went down to the refinery.
The man said, ‘Son, if it was up to me...’
Went down to see my VA man.
He said, ‘Son, don’t you understand?’
Born in the USA!
I was born in the USA!
I was born in the USA!
I’m a long-gone Daddy in the USA!”
Active Duty/Retiree ping.
Yeah, but how do you feel about Carl Levin?
He’s a democrat. As such I place him on the scale somewhere between the AIDS virus and jock itch on the scale of benefits to humanity.
Pretty much where I think all Dem/Libs are. I expect nothing but Anti0American, Anti0-military activity from them all.
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