Posted on 01/08/2014 7:42:35 PM PST by SkyPilot
A massive spending bill taking shape on Capitol Hill is likely to repeal a recently enacted pension cut for disabled veterans.
Capitol Hill aides said Wednesday that the $1 trillion-plus omnibus spending bill measure will reverse a 1 percentage point cut to annual cost-of-living increases that was inadvertently applied to more than 63,000 veterans who have left the military due to injury or disability.
But the controversial pension cut included in last month's budget agreement would continue to apply to other military retirees. It would save about $6 billion over the coming decade, money that's being used to ease cuts to the Pentagon budget this year.
The pension cuts have drawn fierce opposition from veterans groups and lawmakers in both parties, but it's unclear whether the entire provision will be repealed. The aides required anonymity because the spending bill isn't complete and they aren't authorized to discuss it publicly.
Some lawmakers originally claimed, incorrectly, that the pension cut in last month's budget bill would not apply to disabled veterans. When they discovered that it did, they immediately promised to correct it. The upcoming budget measure is the first available vehicle.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., recently defended the pension cut in an op-ed in USA Today, saying he stands behind "responsible reforms of military compensation."
Service members are permitted to retire at half pay after 20 years in the military, which means they can claim their pensions as early as age 38, a generous benefit that defenders say helps retain servicemen and women. He says a typical serviceman who retirees at 38 would receive a $1.7 million pension over his lifetime instead of a $1.8 million benefit and that most military retirees go on to second careers.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
At least they arent cutting welfare or obama phones.
1. They don't exempt many disabled retirees, even though they claim they do - only those who met an early retirement medical board will be taken care of
2. Nothing mentioned about survivor widows being exempted (so I assume they are also cut)
3. No urgency or will to repeal the horrible cuts to all currently military retirees and those men and women now serving
These sons of bitches. Give everything to the lazy and unproductive that are worthless layabouts. Yet take away from those that have sacrificed. Anyone in the military makes a sacrifice. It might be their family, their lifestyle, their children, their friends, loved ones. Or it might be a finger, an arm, a leg, a kidney, it could be their spine, or their head, maybe shrapnel in their chest. They might have given their very life to give the worthless in our society a way to survive. They are asked to sacrifice at least SOMETHING, but the worthless layabouts are given more at the expense of those who fight, die, and sacrifice for their right to be lazy. What a FUBAR world we live in.
I’m not a leader, but if someone wants to stand up to the injustice our country has become I will follow.
Military pay cuts should not exist. Service members are the ONLY members in our society that should be given a free pass after their service. Especially those that are maimed. Their families as well.
Tell me when will “or domestic” will be invoked, and I will be there.
Will Juan McShame retain his disability payment?
They sure have those millions for the ‘Promise Zones’ though...
The first pensions that should be revoked are those for Congress.
Retroactively and forever.
Yep. Congress should be a place where retired successful normal men and women go to lead and teach the population how to be successful, but above all else MAKE IT POSSIBLE. Not take that chance away.
Now it’s go to Congress, do nothing, swim with the current and take whatever you can get from lobbyists and political climate.
In addition to no pension, I think they should have to pass a drug screen and be able to do three pullups.
It’s only fair.
"House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., recently defended the pension cut in an op-ed in USA Today, saying he stands behind "responsible reforms of military compensation."
The GOP-e leadership bends over backwards to reward illegals who break the law and sneak across the border... and then punishes those who fight to protect this great nation.
What a bunch of sick, disgusting, manipulative individuals.
Hello dumdum but that has not been the case for a number of years, since 1986 to be exact. You get 40% at 20. You get 50% at 30.
There is no one in the military who will retire at 50% at 38 not that there ever was that many to begin with. Less then 11% of service members go to 20.
BTW SkyPilot that dumdum was addressed to Ryan, not to you!
For Ryan to supposedly be so smart, he sure says and does some stupid things. They didn’t realize it was in the deal? Did Ryan even read the damn thing that high paid aids put together? Or is everyone going to have to read it to see what’s in it?
Have they done away with pensions for house and senate members and their staff?
I thought that 50% number was BS. It used to be 50% at twenty years and 75% at thirty. I remember the “lifers” saying they were working for “half pay” after twenty years.
What Ryan and the other over paid elitists refuse to see is those in the military aren’t paid equally to their civilian counterparts. They’re afraid they’ll lose their brilliant, over paid, IRREPLACEBLE aides but they don’t give a damn if they lose career military.
Only $6 billion over ten years? What a joke. We spend more than that giving free haircuts to members of Congress over ten years.
It also used to be healthcare for life if you went to 20. Now they dump you into Medicare at 65.
Absolutely...Including several money eating government departments..
It's hard to believe they'd turn on their own before cutting billions in endless bloated departments/programs.
All those who sacrificed part of their lives to serve should be the very last when it comes to cuts, reductions, medical care, pensions etc...
Government continues to spend billions on things like foreign aid and then cut or reduce benefits from Americans who served?
How could anyone think this is acceptable?
Or free healthcare and education - along with welfare and 0bamaPhones - to illegals!!
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