Letter to Congress about Military Benefits

So I was on my way to the hospital for a daily infusion and was listening to NPR as usual.  It came up that the Budget deal had been done and though it was not perfect it was a good try at a compromise and actual governing.  Then they discussed one detail that almost drove me off the road.  The new budget deal had a 1% cut to military retirement cost of living benefits.  I was pissed off and once I parked I called my father a retired Marine to discuss.  I am very activist and believe that if our government does not hear from us then how can they represent us.  I asked him to join me and write to his congress people about this.  He agreed with my intent and said that his military retiree magazine would have a form letter in it that he would be happy to sign and send in.  In any case it was a great discussion and it helped me to further enhance what I was going to say.  I had the chance to write to four senators and two congress people because I am a legal resident of Delaware but because of my health condition I am currently living with my in-laws in Pennsylvania.  In any case here is the letter I sent to each of them.

Good Afternoon,

Lets start with the good. Thank you for getting it done and working with whoever you guys needed to work with to get this budget compromise worked out and done. It is about time that we see some governing being done by those we have tasked to do that job.

On with the concern. I heard on NPR and read that the budget law that was passed included a 1% cut in the COLA calculation for military retirees under age 62. I may not have all of the details but as I understand it we/you are cutting away well earned benefits from those that volunteered to be our country's body armor.

I myself was not able to serve but I am the child of a retired Marine. I could not believe what I was hearing on the radio and immediately called my father about this. Needless to say, he is not pleased with this outcome. But, he explained that with the sacrifices our men and women in uniform have already made this was just another one to take with as much dignity as can be mustered. We have asked so much of our service members and their families. It was bad enough when the "promised" healthcare for retirees was cut and my father was forced to turn to medicare last year instead of the military sponsored/subsidized healthcare that was part of his recruitment/re-commitment benefits.

If there is a way to undo this particular injustice I would hope that you are wrestling toward the front of the line to sponsor such legislation. We are not so inflexible to know that perhaps that cannot happen. Either way, please consider it.

In Lieu of that, there are private sector entities that kind of help where the government falters. For one example, the hardware company Lowes gives a discount of some sort to military personnel, retirees and dependents. They are not the only example of how we honor those that take such risk and hardship for such little reward. Could you consider at least so called boilerplate legislation that would give a congressional "thumbs up" to those, like Lowes, that have set such an amazing example.

 For those of you that know me this is very tame and respectful for me.  Well, as congress came back from recess I got some responses.  The first was from Senator Pat Toomey.

Dear Robert,

Thank you for contacting me about the Ryan-Murray budget proposal. I appreciate hearing from you.

As you may know, federal spending has doubled since 2000. The consequences of such fiscal mismanagement will be devastating to our economy, not to mention to future generations who will be saddled with debt and a government they can no longer afford. Since joining the Senate, I have tried to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find solutions to this serious problem, including finding common ground on modest reforms that would reduce our unsustainable federal deficits and spending.

As such, it is essential to maintain the savings agreed to in the Budget Control Act of 2011, which was signed into law by President Obama and established spending caps. The law's spending limits have cut the overspending in Washington and have begun to put our country on a more sustainable path. It is for this reason that I have maintained that any budget deal must preserve the Budget Control Act's existing savings.

Unfortunately, the Ryan-Murray budget proposal establishes higher caps than the Budget Control Act and allows for a massive increase in spending. In an attempt to offset this overspending, the proposal relies on gimmicks instead of meaningful reforms, and increases the burden on taxpayers through higher fees and other changes.             

Additionally, this agreement cuts retirement payments for military members. It also punishes companies that provide their workers with a pension, even those which have acted responsibly and fully funded their plans. Finally, this bill increases air travel user fees, which amounts to an increased tax on consumers.

It is also unfortunate that this deal does not contain a measure that I have supported which would permanently end government shutdowns. This is a missed opportunity to end government by crisis and encourage Congress to pass timely spending bills. 

For these reasons, I cannot support this budget proposal and voted against it. As I continue working on this issue and restoring fiscal responsibility in Washington, please be assured that I value knowing your thoughts and value your input.

Thank you again for your correspondence. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Pat Toomey
U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania

This was actually a good response.  He was not okay with the budget on multiple points including my objection to the military cuts.  I can hope that he works on getting a better budget plan in place.

Senator Casey came back with a great response and some informative stuff that will help me understand what is going on and how I can help with my support or dissent.

Dear Mr. Duff:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the cost of living adjustment provision for military retirees in the H.J.Res.59, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about the issues that matter most to them.

For the first time in four years, Congress was in a position to pass a budget agreement with strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. I voted for the Budget Act, which passed the Senate by a vote of 64-36 on December 18, 2013 and was signed into law by President Obama on December 19, 2013.

This is an important bipartisan agreement that will allow the appropriations process to move forward under regular order. Important programs that help many Pennsylvanians such as Community Development Block Grants and NIH medical research will face fewer cuts under this deal as opposed to without it. In addition, overall deficit reduction will be approximately $20 billion higher under this agreement than without it. While this Budget compromise is not perfect, it will allow us to avoid another damaging government shutdown and reduce some of the damage from sequester.

I understand the impact that this COLA adjustment may have on working-age military retirees.  I am open to working with my colleagues in the Senate to determine alternative courses of action that would save money in ways that would not adversely affect military retirees before this provision takes effect on December 1, 2015.

The Budget Act does not reduce base retirement pay, it specifically effects the cost-of-living allowance adjustment reductions for military retirees under the age of 62. The change will not take effect until January 2016 and would take place over three years. The December 2014 COLA would be reduced by 0.25 percent, the December 2015 COLA would be reduced by 0.5 percent and the full one percent reduction would take effect in the December 2016 COLA.  Benefits through the Veterans’ Administration are not affected by this provision.

On December 17, 2013, Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire introduced S.1844, the Military Retirement Restoration Act, to safeguard military retirees from changes to cost of living adjustments (COLA) that were included in the budget agreement. This bill would replace the estimated $6 billion in expected savings from military retiree COLA with an estimated $6.6 billion raised by eliminating a tax loophole for offshore corporations. S.1844 was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance, of which I am a member.

I have the deepest respect and gratitude for American servicemembers and their contributions to our national security. Our brave men and women make incredible sacrifices so that we may live in peace and safety here at home, and I believe strongly that the U.S. government should support our servicemembers and veterans even in times of fiscal restraint. As your United States Senator, I have consistently advocated for fair compensation for American military personnel.

I firmly believe that this country must be grateful for the safe homecoming of every single man and woman who has served in harm’s way to protect our country. Our joy at their return must be reflected in our commitment to helping all those who have served, especially those who are coping with devastating physical and psychological injuries and illnesses as a result of their combat service.

While we work to expand the veterans’ health care system to accommodate young men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must not forget or neglect our duty to older veterans who have served America valiantly in previous wars. Combat veterans from World War II and the Korean War are now older citizens. Many of those who served in Vietnam have retired, adding thousands more to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care rolls.  Moreover, men and women who fought in the Gulf War of 1991 have unique physical and mental health care concerns, the evidence of which has appeared in the years following the end of that war. We must not lose sight of any of our older veterans as we strive to increase health care resources for our returning Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom service members.

I have worked to honor our commitment to helping all who have served, but especially those who are coping with devastating physical and psychological injuries and illnesses as a result of their combat service. As you know, veterans who have incurred an injury or contracted a disease in, or aggravated by, active military service are eligible for a monthly cash benefit. The amount of this benefit is determined by the veteran’s disability rating, which is assigned by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) following a physical examination.  

On April 29, 2013, Senator Dean Heller of Nevada and I led a letter with 65 of our colleagues to President Obama requesting that he get personally involved to end the VA backlog. I was proud to lead this initiative. As a United States Senator, I will continue to work with my colleagues in fighting to ensure our veterans are treated with the dignity they so richly deserve.  When servicemembers return wounded from the battlefield, they should receive the care they earned.  

As always, I appreciate your views, thoughts and concerns as they assist me in understanding what is important to the people of Pennsylvania. Please be assured that I will have your concerns in mind should legislation regarding the COLA be introduced in the Senate. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.  

For more info on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Then came a bunch of uselessness.

Dear Friend,

Our nation’s economy continues to rebound from the worst recession in generations, but the economic recovery is still beyond the reach of too many Pennsylvanians. The expiration of long-term unemployment insurance at the end of December is taking a significant toll on Pennsylvanians who are desperately trying to find work and protect their families from poverty.

This week, the Senate took an important, bipartisan step toward restoring this vital economic lifeline for more than 1.3 million Americans – including more than 73,000 Pennsylvanians – who have been out of work for at least 27 weeks. It is unconscionable that House Republican leaders have not yet brought up a vote to restore these benefits. In Pennsylvania, more than 3,500 additional people, on average, will lose their unemployment insurance each week going forward. (Source) Failing to extend this assistance will hurt families and slow our economic recovery.

I have heard from many of my constituents who are out of work, people who took pride in their jobs and worked hard throughout their lives to provide for their families. Anne from Northeast Philadelphia, a mother of three children who’s been out of work for more than a year, wrote to me about her struggle to find a job. Anne is a former teacher with a college education and extensive work experience. She has applied to more than 800 job openings and has tried to maintain her professional skills by pro bono consulting and volunteering. “I am terrified of becoming a lost citizen, falling through the cracks into extreme poverty and homelessness,” Anne wrote.

Anne is one of millions of Americans who want to collect a paycheck, not an unemployment check. Extending unemployment benefits will not only ensure that struggling Pennsylvanians can focus on finding work instead of worrying about how they are going to feed their families, it will also protect existing jobs and boost our economy.

In addition to extending unemployment benefits, we need to incentivize hiring for the long-term unemployed. Recent studies have shown that employers are less likely to hire the long-term unemployed, even when they are well qualified. That is why I am cosponsoring legislation (H.R. 3726) to encourage business to hire individuals who have been out of work for more than 27 weeks. The bill provides companies up to $2,400 in tax credits for each long-term unemployed worker they hire.

I will keep fighting to ease the devastating impact long-term employment has on Pennsylvania's families. As always, it is a privilege to represent you in Congress.

Sincerely,

Allyson Y. Schwartz
Member of Congress

I realize that these are form letters and a staffer is taking care of this but it is like nobody bothered to check what I wrote.  She raises a good point but does not address anything that I said.  What a waste of an elected official.  I can hope that I get more responses from the other congress persons I wrote to and I will add to this post as they come in.

On more important note.  I mentioned that Lowes gives a discount to military personel and retirees.  Please support Lowes and other companies that try to make life a little bit easier for our human bullet shields.  Thanks.