Murray: Compromise was necessary on military pension cuts (Disabled Veterans are cut)

CNN ^ | 18 Dec 13 | CNN's Dana Davidsen

[SkyPilot]

(CNN) – Sen. Patty Murray, co-crafter of the bipartisan budget agreement and member of the veterans affair committee, said Wednesday cuts to pension benefits for some military veterans under the spending plan was a part of a compromise to avoid billions in cuts to the defense industry.

"We had to look at how we could find compromises. There are things in this I like and there are things in this I don't like," the Senate Budget Committee chair and Democrat from Washington State said in an interview on CNN's "New Day."

"But at the end of the day, if we couldn't find a compromise on how we move forward, then we would be facing a 20 billion dollar hit to our defense industry - meaning layoffs, uncertainty and a lot of furloughs, harming a lot of families across the country," Murray told CNN anchor Kate Bouldan.

Murray comes from a military family. Her father, who was awarded a Purple Heart in World War II, suffered from multiple sclerosis and was disabled.

She added that she's open to changes to the compromise before the military action takes affect in two years if an agreement can be reached on the issue in a divided Congress.

"If somebody's got a better way and has an opportunity to do that, this, 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," she said.

"I'm happy to look at that and support it if it's something i can agree with."

[SkyPilot]

Someone kick Paul "Benedict" Ryan out of the Republican party.....please.

Disabled military retirees not exempt from pension cuts in budget deal

[GeronL]

end ObamaPhones for one thing

[SkyPilot]

ping

[Paladin2]

Krony Krapitalism ilo working for the People.

[hosepipe]

[SkyPilot]

end ObamaPhones for one thing

Cost: $2.2 BILLION.....per year.

The "savings" of screwing our retired and current military by stealing their pensions.......$6 Billion OVER TEN YEARS.

But, there was just "nowhere else" to cut.

[Farmer Dean]

THIS will come back on them in the next election.Count on it.

[jazusamo]

Osama Mama is a scatterbrain leftist and I don’t believe a word she says as one of my senators.

[ptsal]

....B/S ... how about nut-cutting in the halls of congress... maybe that is more reasonable

[cripplecreek]

They could have cut a lot more if they cut earned income tax credits to illegals.

[digger48]

One of the highest IQs in Congress and one of the lowest making law for the rest of us.

Compromise, DC style.

[darkwing104]

The deal cuts pension cost of living raises by one percentage point for military retirees who aren't disabled and not yet 62 years old. Cost of living hikes are automatic raises intended to keep up with inflation.

She lied, the provision for the disabled was removed before the Senate voted on it.

[GeronL]

Yep. I bet I could find a LOT of things to cut.

[no-to-illegals]

ms. murray ... Why are 4,000+ active Captains and Majors being removed from the Active Ranks?

[SkyPilot]

They could have cut a lot more if they cut earned income tax credits to illegals.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3102563/posts

Sen Sessions tried to insert an amendment to end the EITC tax refund loophole for Illegal Aliens. Sen Reid would not even allow it to make to the Senate floor for a vote.

Merry Christmas Disabled Veterans.

But hey, Paul "Benedict" Ryan got his pound of flesh.

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty/Retiree ping.

[SkyPilot]

I cannot believe that this provision screwing our disabled military survived.....but it did.

Merry Christmas.

[blueunicorn6]

Let’s all get together and send Patty some of that Peace Dividend we all got back during the Clinton years. Oh....that’s right.....the Democrats just spent that buying votes. I, for one, am proud.....proud.....to know that the money they take from me will be put to good use like paying make-believe pig farmers and putting up make-believe EPA secret agents in five star hotels.
Hail Democratland!

[grobdriver]

THIS will come back on them in the next election.

The Rats aren't worried about that.
They don't count on military votes anyway - those few that the Rat machine lets through the system.
They rely on the takers and queers, and that seems to keep them on top - especially when our guys stay home.

[Farmer Dean]

There’s millions of vets out here,and the vast majority vote.They can suppress the active military vote,but not the vets.