US Rep. Ron Barber Stands Up for Military Retirees, Votes to Prevent Benefit Cuts
Press Release
U.S. Rep. Ron Barber voted today to prevent a reduction in the benefits of future military retirees -- fulfilling a promise he made in December to reverse the reduction in future cost of living adjustments (COLA) that was included to help pay for the bipartisan budget agreement approved by Congress late last year.
In December, Barber joined colleagues in the House in introducing similar legislation that would prevent the cuts from ever taking effect.
"The men and women of our armed forces have stepped up and served our nation honorably. We have promised them benefits that they rightly deserve," Barber, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said today. "I opposed these COLA cuts from the beginning. We must not balance the budget on the backs of our veterans and military retirees. That's why I voted to reverse these cuts today and won't stop fighting until a fix is signed into law."
The House passed the bill 326-to-90. The legislation now heads to the Senate.
In December, the House approved a bipartisan budget agreement that included a 1 percent reduction in cost of living adjustments to the benefits of military retirees under age 62 -- a provision that Barber vehemently opposed. Immediately after, Barber joined Republicans and Democrats in introducing three bills that would have prevented the retirement benefit cuts from taking place.
Barber sponsored the Military Retirement Restoration Act to completely eliminate the reduction in pension benefits -- and pay for restoring the benefits by closing tax loopholes for offshore companies.
He also sponsored a bipartisan bill that would exempt disabled veterans and military families from a reduction in disability and survivor pension benefits. In January, the House voted on an omnibus funding package that included this repeal of the veterans and military families reduction.
Barber represents about 85,000 veterans in Southern Arizona -- one of the largest concentrations of veterans in any congressional district.
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