Frustrated by the recent cuts to military benefits for retirees, many veterans groups and lawmakers are working to restore the entitlements.
According to FOX News, Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., introduced a bill this week that would rescind the cuts made by the National Defense Authorization Act to the cost-of-living adjustment for working-age military retirees. The newly passed legislation, which was signed last week by President Barack Obama, outlines defense spending for the 2014 fiscal year.
Reuters reported that the law grants the Defense Department a base budget of $526.8 billion. Although the act retains many military benefits, such as a 1 percent increase in pay, it reduced the COLA allowance for military retirees under the age of 62, including veterans with disabilities. FOX News stated that the cuts could result in a $72,000 lifetime loss in benefits for retired servicemembers.
"As a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I believe our service members, veterans, and their families must receive the benefits they have earned and deserve," Brownley said in a statement, as quoted by the news source. "These benefits are owed to them without equivocation.
Brownley, however, is not the only one stepping up to help military retirees. According to FOX News, veterans groups such as the Military Officers Association of America and the American Legion are currently lobbying Congress to increase the benefits.