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U.S. lawmakers passed a spending bill last week that included cuts to pensions for veterans under the age of 62 – but not without a fight. According to NPR, many of the Senate's ardent military supporters are speaking out against the budget legislation, which reduces annual cost-of-living adjustments for working-age military retirees – including those with disabilities – by 1 percent. 

"A sergeant first class who retires at age 40 could stand to lose $72,000 by the time he turns or she turns age 62," Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., told the news source.

Ayotte added that the budget deal, which was a compromise between Congress and the Department of Defense, was unfair to younger veterans. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., agreed, stating to the news outlet that Congress is expressing love for the troops "in a very strange way."

However, many lawmakers and defense officials stated that cuts to military compensation can't be avoided. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told The Associated Press that the Pentagon had "tough decisions" to make. Reductions to military pensions for working-age veterans helped prevent cuts to other across-the-board military benefits, including health care and salaries for active-duty troops, according to the news source. 

While the military retiree pensions will be reduced under this new bill, veterans will receive a "catch up" pension increase once they turn 62, the news outlet reported. However, that increase still won't amount to what the former servicemembers lost over time.