Ryan knew about, ignored Military Pension Cuts 'Mistake' in Budget Deal

Breitbart Big Government ^ | 12-20-13 | Matthew Boyle

[CitizenUSA]

Military retirees, at least those of my generation, were promised full inflation protection of our retirement benefits. In other words, my military pension is adjusted by the government’s inflation rate. This rate generally seems to be much less than actual inflation, but that’s another story. Anyway, the budget agreement caps the annual cost of living (inflation) adjustment to 1% less than the actual inflation rate. For example, let’s say the government calculates annual inflation at 1.3%. Retirees would get a 0.3% increase that year. This means an effective 20% reduction in military retired pay at 20 years after retirement.

I’m not personally opposed to making sacrifices for the benefit of the nation. After all, I’m a military retiree who made all sorts of sacrifices while I was in the service. That said, this budget didn’t make any dent at all in government expansion, and the reduction in military cost of living adjustments is only predicted to save $6 billion over 10 years. So our nation can afford to hand out $ billions per year in free Obamaphones to the “poor and needy” for example, but they can’t afford to honor promises to military veterans.

Did Representative Ryan win any concessions from the left for sacrificing veterans? None that I can see. That’s why he’s being lambasted by conservatives, and rightly so! It’s not about the cut. It’s about not getting anything significant in return for the cut.

[jimt]

This deal is great. It has taken another RINO out of the running.

Damn straight !

[pfflier]

I appreciate your comment. It looks like it is a reduction in the COLA is being generically called a cut in most arguments. While technically not a cut is is a reduction in what the pay would have been if indexed directly to inflation.

I think that will be undone legislatively as veteran's benefits are as much a third rail as Social Security. But, it did have to become a "squeaky wheel" to be addressed.

It is sad that Patty Murray got credit for the initiative to address this.

[11th Commandment]

That will be solved with the technical correction that will pass when Congress comes back into session.

Along with the technical glitch that we busted the sequester cuts will be fixed as well..(/s)

[Georgia Girl 2]

He thinks it was a mistake because people are ticked off about it. Otherwise he would have been fine with it. Ryan has gone so far off the Res he probably won’t even be able to raise enough money to run for President in 2016.

[conservativegranny]

How does lying make Ryan a “good guy”? A lie of omission is still a lie. He knew that was in there and said nothing. We have to take his word as to whether is was a “mistake” or not. I think, considering his track record, probably not.

You don’t pass something you know is a mistake with the intention of fixing it later. I’ve never heard such a bunch of hogwash and incompetence. Shame on him.

[grania]

Mygosh, how is supposed budget-geek Ryan going to pay to correct "the mistake"? There isn't that much make-believe savings in the plan to begin with.

If Ryan didn't know that veterans were screwed in his compromise, he's an idiot. If he did know, he's an unprincipled SOB. Either way, I hope he's through.

[CitizenUSA]

I say Representative Ryan is naive at best to not understand how this particular budget item looks to conservatives. It has almost zero impact on federal spending, but it’s a major political hit against a fairly reliable conservative faction. Like I wrote, military pension cuts are acceptable (to this military retiree) in return for wins in other areas, but I can’t see any wins in this budget deal. Can you?

[pfflier]

Can I see any wins? No.

I can see that we will be spared the media drama regarding budgets over the next year or so.

The new shift will be all out media support for immigration reform. It has already started in one local San Diego radio station KYXY. The are incessantly running a commercial that claims "The American people have spoken undocumented aliens deserve healthcare coverage".

[bravo whiskey]

less increase than desired is not a cut. the libs do this all the time when they want an 8% increase and conservatives want a 2% increase. the libs say that is a 6% cut. NO IT ISN'T. 2% less than what is being paid now is a cut. i don't believe veterans should have any financial impact placed on them by an ungrateful congress and i believe welfare should be 10% lower than it is today. that would be a cut.

[jwalsh07]

Ryans a liar. Last weeks tune was way different than this weeks tune.

[ColdOne]

What a evil human Ryan is.

[SkyPilot]

“Let me just be clear on this," Kudlow responded. "So in other words, you agree that disabled military vets will not take the 1% call for reduction. You agree with that, and that was an oversight?” “That's correct,” Ryan answered.

Allow me be clear Mr. Ryan:

NO MILITARY person currently serving, nor already retired, should have their pensions robbed like this - but especially disabled retirees and disabled veterans.

If this COLA adjustment was across the board for ALL - including Social Security and Social Security Disability recipients, it could be argued that the country was engaging in shared sacrifice. But it wasn't in this bastardized "deal." Military on active duty and retired military were clearly singled out.

All to "save" $6 Billion......over ten years! Our Federal government spends $10.46 Billion per day.

"“This would not affect service members who retired because of disability or injury,” the original document read, a copy of which was obtained by Breitbart News. But Ryan’s office soon learned that claim was not true, so it scrubbed the document to remove the false statement and published a new version of it with accurate information. Ryan’s spokesman Will Allison also admitted that the actions Ryan took to scrub the document to remove that false claim were done two days before the House voted on the bill. However, when asked repeatedly whether Ryan ever actually informed House members of the revisions he made to the budget document, Allison would not answer.

This is incredibly damning for Ryan, and also for Cantor and Boehner, who clearly also knew that disabled veterans were getting screwed. Yet they jammed this vote through.

The GOP is going to lose House seats over this debacle before this is all over.

When they need to do is eliminate this pension theft of the military as soon as they return. The longer this festers, the more damage will be done politically. This is one of the biggest political foul ups and miscalculations in US history.

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty/Retiree ping.

[darkwing104]

GOPe's at their finest

Avatar no longer posted to protest one of A&E's parent companies

[MasterGunner01]

Yet another reason to retire this RINO incompetent POS. Is anyone running against him in the primary?