Murray: Compromise was necessary on military pension cuts
Posted by
CNN's Dana Davidsen
Updated 12:54 p.m., 12/18/2013
(CNN) – Sen. Patty Murray, co-crafter of the bipartisan budget agreement and member of the veterans affair committee, said Wednesday cuts to pension benefits for some military veterans under the spending plan was a part of a compromise to avoid billions in cuts to the defense industry.
"We had to look at how we could find compromises. There are things in this I like and there are things in this I don't like," the Senate Budget Committee chair and Democrat from Washington State said in an interview on CNN's "New Day."
"But at the end of the day, if we couldn't find a compromise on how we move forward, then we would be facing a 20 billion dollar hit to our defense industry - meaning layoffs, uncertainty and a lot of furloughs, harming a lot of families across the country," Murray told CNN anchor Kate Bouldan.
Argh! She looks weak, and lost, Fredo like.. Cuts to the military families today, in the name of compromise! no No NO! You don't work with the dark side, you don't compromise with them, not on this. Cuts to military families today, and cuts for the rest of us tomorrow all in the name of compromise.
Ayotte: 'No' on Ryan-Murray budget deal
Published December 16, 2013FoxNews.com
New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte said Monday she will vote against the Ryan-Murray bipartisan budget deal because of a provision that takes money away from military retirees .
Ayotte was referring to the part of the deal brokered last week by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., that cuts $6 billion over 10 years from the benefits of military retirees.
“The message we’re sending them right now is you, of all people, in this agreement will be singled out and that you will receive less,” Ayotte said on "Special Report with Bret Baier."
“I think that’s wrong,” added Ayotte, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"Why is it in this budget deal that they are the only group that gets cuts to their benefits?" Ayotte said to CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead" on Tuesday. "Of all the people we would cut first - our veterans, our disabled veterans."
Sen. Patty Murray said Wednesday the budget deal she struck with Rep. Paul Ryan “wasn’t easy,” but it had to be done to rebuild trust in Washington and clear the way for work on tax and entitlement reform.
Mrs. Murray, Washington Democrat, said she knew both sides of the political spectrum would not be pleased with everything that went into the deal, but that’s the price of compromise.
“In order to deal with the long term challenges that our country faces … we have to have the trust of the American people, we have to have the trust of each other in Congress — in a divided Congress — to do that,” she told CNN’s “New Day.”
Does this even need any further commentary?
And 3. 2. 1. wait for the backpedal. Ahh here it is. Now, i see, It was a Technical error, a glitch, it just got in there accidentally. Someone did do the math though, and they were proud to state that the cuts to retirement benefits, for disabled military retirees, would save $6 billion over 10 years. But they did the math by accident, it got in there by magic.
Patty Murray: 'Technical error' that cuts disabled veterans benefits will be fixed
Washington Examiner ^ | 12/18/2013 | Sean Lengell
Sen. Patty Murray said a "technical error" in the bipartisan budget deal accidentally would cut pension benefits for retired disabled military veterans, but vowed the problem will be fixed immediately.
The Washington state Democrat, who brokered the deal with Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., took to the Senate floor Wednesday and promised the "unintended inclusion" would be remedied before the chamber votes on the bill and that benefits for disabled military pensioners wouldn't be cut.
"All of us know that our disabled veterans have made tremendous sacrifices for our nation and deserve the peace of mind that their benefits will not be adjusted under this compromise legislation," Murray said on the Senate floor Wednesday.
"The technical error certainly can, should and will be addressed."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...