Governor Paul R. LePage released the following statement today denouncing Washington's budget agreement, which cuts military retiree benefits, including disabled veterans who retire because of their injuries:
"It is disgraceful that within a $47 trillion dollar budget over ten years, the federal government chose to cut funding for the men and women who defend our country and risk their lives to protect our freedoms. These are unfair benefit reductions to service members who have medically retired -- including those who have suffered injuries in combat. All the while changes made to federal civilian employee retirement benefits apply only to new hires. This is wrong.
"There are billions of dollars of wasteful spending in Washington, and I urge Congress to reconsider cutting these benefits that our military men and women rightly deserve."