Military families and veterans have been patiently waiting for Congress to fix a small problem they caused back in December when they passed the Bi-Partisan Budget Act of 2013. Not only did they fail to renew unemployment benefits, but they also cut COLA on military pensions. The cuts, though small to the overall federal budget, are huge to the individual pocket books of those who have served their country; as much as $80,000 to $120,000 will be lost over time to each of these families.
The uproar that ensued has guaranteed that both Representatives and Senators have started to say the right thing. More than 100 Representatives have co-sponsored HR 3790 and HR 3804, identical bills that are a straight repeal of the cuts with no offset. And, yes, Republicans are a large part of the support of HR 3790. But rumor has it that it will never make it to a vote in the House Armed Services Committee nor the floor because Speaker John Boehner has openly said he does not support restoring full pensions. Welcome to our Democracy.
In fact, some are so insistent that this will be fixed, they wonder why military families and veterans are still making a fuss:
“You guys have already won,” Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe, ranking Republican, assured military association leaders who testified against the recent devaluation of military retirement as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act.Let me tell you why we continue to demand an immediate fix.
Military families and veterans have been placing their bets on a different bill, one that offers not only a fix for military retirees but other solutions for many veterans issues. That would be Senator Bernie Sander's S 1950. Senator Harry Reid has placed it on the fast track and yesterday we read that the bill would be ready for a vote on the floor of the Senate on Monday.
But Republicans are already lining up in opposition: