Washington, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement after the Senate passed a bill that would safeguard current military retirees from changes to cost of living adjustments (COLA) that were included in the budget agreement passed last December. The bill now heads to the President’s desk for his signature.
“The budget deal passed last year had an outrageous provision: a cut to veterans’ pensions. I’m glad that the Senate acted today in a bipartisan fashion to reverse these disturbing cuts. Our vets have stood up for us, and we must stand up for them.”
Senator Merkley has been an outspoken in his opposition to the cuts, cosponsoring a bill that would have replaced the cuts in December, and giving a floor speech to express his opposition to the cuts in January.
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