VETERANS: GOP does a disservice

In response to Larry Kettle’s letter headlined “VETERANS: Dems do them disservice,” Mr. Kettle’s disingenuous attempt to place the blame on Democrats for attempting to scale back retired military benefits only tells part of the story. Here is the rest of the story from Fox News, a news outlet I am sure Mr. Kettle is familiar with.

The provision cutting the inflation increases of pensions for military retirees under the age of 62 was perhaps the most unpopular. Members of the military are eligible to retire after 20 years at half pay. The provision was included in the bill at the direction of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and backed by John McCain R-Arizona.

However, top Democrats said Wednesday they would revisit the change in military pensions before it takes effect in two years. Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Washington, who negotiated the bill with Ryan, said lawmakers would at least reverse the impact on disabled retirees — calling their inclusion a mistake.

“I want to make absolutely sure today that they know that a provision included in this deal that mistakenly included disabled retirees and survivors for changes in the pension growth will be addressed in short order following passage of this bill,” Murray said. “I think all of us know that our disabled veterans have made tremendous sacrifices for our nation and deserve the peace of mind that their benefits will not be adjusted under this compromise legislation. This technical error certainly can, should, and will be addressed.”

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, a former prisoner of war, was among the few willing to defend the benefit cut.

“We cannot have continued increases in costs and benefits forever because of our inability to fund our national security,” McCain said. “In other words, the dramatic increase in personnel and benefit costs are such that we really aren’t going to have money left over for the mission, the equipment, and the capabilities.”

I think every Republican in the country should be ashamed of their leadership in Washington. They give preference to large powerful and rich corporations by providing them huge tax breaks while gutting programs that help the least fortunate among us, and also do a great disservice to the men and women who have protected this country, by voting down a veteran’s jobs bill in the House that would have put hundreds of thousands returning vets back to work in this country. I think every Republican should be ashamed of their leaders in Congress for cutting $40 billion from food stamps over the next 10 years that benefit tens of thousands of military family members while they still serve this great country.

BRYAN HOPLA

Meridian