Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) announced on Wednesday that he supports two measures that would rollback reductions in cost of living adjustments for members of the military and disabled retirees outlined in the Bipartisan Budget Act passed on Dec. 12.
House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) introduced a measure to repeal the COLA reduction for all military retirees and a measure to repeal the COLA reduction for service members who are medically retired.
“I did not want to have to make the choice between working-age military retiree COLAs and stopping the devastating cuts of sequestration, but that is the choice the House was given on Dec. 12,” Crenshaw said. “The final agreement did not please everyone, but its framework delivered long-overdue certainty to the appropriations process and helped to ensure military readiness.”
Under the budget agreement, COLA for working-age military retirees who are 62 or younger would be reduced by one percent below inflation beginning in 2016.
“As we move forward, the COLA and disability pension reforms that I am co-sponsoring strengthen the budget agreement and provide (for) our servicemen and honor those who have served,” Crenshaw said. “Both deserve the support of Congress, and I will be encouraging all my colleagues to support them.”