Tester leads Senate in repealing Veterans COLA cut

Senator: ‘Folks in Montana want a common-sense budget, but not one that balances its books on the backs of veterans’

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to repeal the one percent reduction in military retirees’ Cost-of-Living Adjustment that was included in December’s bipartisan budget agreement:

“Folks in Montana want a common-sense budget, but not one that balances its books on the backs of veterans who signed up to fight for our country. Moving forward, I will continue to make tough decisions that strengthen our economy and move our nation forward while honoring our hard-working military men and women.”

Tester, Montana’s only member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, supported December’s bipartisan budget compromise, while also raising concerns about its reduction in military retirees’ Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA).

Tester said the budget deal was necessary to “move beyond the non-stop cycle of Washington-caused crises that are holding back our economy,” but said he would also keep working with colleagues to address the military pension issue.

The bipartisan budget will reduce the country’s deficit by billions of dollars and allow for investments in education and infrastructure that create jobs. It also eliminated the devastating cuts caused by the sequester.

The military pension provision would have reduced the annual COLA increase for military retirees younger than 62 by one percent starting in 2016. Instead, the measure now goes to the president’s desk for his signature.