Merkley, Wyden cheer reversal of military retiree cuts

Sen. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., applauded Wednesday’s Senate passage of a bill that would safeguard current military retirees from changes to cost of living adjustments that were included in the budget agreement passed last December.

The bill, passed earlier in the week by the House, was approved 95-3 by the Senate now heads to the president’s desk for his signature.

“The budget deal passed last year had an outrageous provision: a cut to veterans’ pensions,” Merkley said. “I’m glad that the Senate acted today in a bipartisan fashion to reverse these disturbing cuts. Our vets have stood up for us, and we must stand up for them.”

Merkley’s announcement said the senator has been outspoken in his opposition to the cuts, cosponsoring a bill that would have replaced the cuts in December, and giving a floor speech to express his opposition to the cuts in January.

Wyden said, “Changing the rules in the middle of a game isn’t right. Unfortunately, Congress did just that when it reduced the COLA for working-age military retirees.

” I cosponsored legislation to repeal these reductions and today I was proud to vote to restore the full COLA for folks in Oregon and across the country. America’s veterans spent their careers honoring commitments to this great country; it’s only right that Congress now honor the commitments it has made to them.”