Congress Turns Its Back On The Military Again
Roll Call ^ |
In late December, a two-year budget deal passed the Senate by a bipartisan 64-36 vote. It includes a provision that cuts a full 1 percent from future annual cost-of-living-adjustments to the retirement packages of all veterans under the age of 62.
This COLA reduction in the budget deal applies to active duty service members who have yet to retire and to those who have been disability retired from the military as a result of their wounds defending our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fact that this provision was included speaks volumes to veterans who put their lives on the line and sacrificed for America.
Veteran service organizations have calculated that a gunnery sergeant or sergeant first class (E-7) retiring today with 20 years of service would lose more than $80,000 in income by age 62. Officers could lose as much as $140,000.
This cut was only directed at the military and not the rest of the Federal civilian workforce, except for new hires effective Jan. 1, 2014. Essentially, the congressional staffers who wrote the provision excluded themselves from it.
One would not mind taking a financial hit as long as it is evenly applied to all in the interests of deficit reduction. However, to be a part of a group specifically singled out by Congress while other entitlements are untouched smacks of grave injustice. The all-voluntary military now only represents roughly 1 percent of the nation and thus is an easy target to be discounted by Congress and the general public as a whole.
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