OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Making Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2014--Continued

Floor Speech

Date: Dec. 17, 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Defense Military Personnel Veterans

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Mr. WICKER. I don't mean to prolong this, but I wish to ask this of the distinguished chairman.

I think everyone should understand that although the Senator from Washington chairs the committee and was a member of the conference committee, this is not a report of the conference committee. The question I wish to ask is, Did the negotiators realize, when this COLA-less-1-percent provision was inserted in the conference committee, that it would mean $80,000 lifetime out of the retirement pay of the typical enlisted retiree? Did the conferees realize the magnitude of what they were agreeing to?

Did the two negotiators agree to the magnitude of what they were sending to the House and Senate?

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Mr. WICKER. Thank you, Madam President.

I would ask the Senator from Alabama, it seems to me no one wants to claim parenthood of this very onerous penalty on the retired servicemembers of the United States of America. I would have to infer from the answer of the Senator from Washington that she was not aware. One percent from COLAs sounds so innocuous, but when its comes to $130,000 for officers and $80,000 for enlisted people, it is real money.

This is a penalty, and it is hitting the people who step forward and volunteer to serve our country and protect our security. So until someone is willing to step forward and claim ownership, I have to assume the negotiators did not know the impact this would have on our military retirees. It seems to me the Senator from Alabama has devised a way to surgically remove this provision, pay for it elsewhere, and send it back to the House. I think we would be doing them a favor, frankly.

I thank my friend from Alabama for yielding.

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Mr. WICKER. Madam President, if the Senator would yield for an answer to that question, precisely 3,456 DOD retirees--the very people we are penalizing in this provision--have been recalled to Active Duty since September 11, 2001.

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