[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 186 (Monday, November 20, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2223-E2224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RESTORING EQUITY BETWEEN MILITARY AND CIVIL SERVICE RETIREES

                                 ______


                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 20, 1995

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this morning I introduced H.R. 
2664 to honor our commitment to our Nation's military retirees by 
restoring equity between their pensions and those of Federal civil 
service retirees.

[[Page E 2224]]

  One of the many reasons that I strongly opposed President Clinton's 
1993 budget was that it violated our contract with military and civil 
service retirees by delaying the payment of their annual cost of living 
adjustments. Further, this legislation treated both groups differently 
by providing for a 3 month delay in the payment of benefits for civil 
service retirees but a 9 month delay in the payment of benefits for 
military retirees.
  There is no doubt in my mind that those men and women who risked 
their lives in the defense of our great Nation are willing to do their 
part to help get our fiscal house in order. What they expect and 
deserve, though, is fairness. This legislation restores fairness and 
equity so that military retirees are treated the same as other Federal 
retirees.
  Last year, the Appropriations Subcommittee on National Defense was 
successful in providing the funds necessary to eliminate the disparity 
between the effective dates for military and civilian retiree COLA's 
for 1995. While we were successful in eliminating the COLA disparity 
for this year, President Clinton's 1996 budget request still left a 
disparity in the adjustment dates for the next 3 years.
  To resolve this issue and restore pension equity, the House included 
an important provision in the Balanced Budget Act we approved on 
October 26th which eliminates this disparity by placing military 
retiree COLAs on the same schedule as those for Federal retirees. We 
recognize in the House that asking military personnel, their families 
and retirees to accept a substantial reduction in retirement benefits 
is an affront to those who serve, and those who have served. This is an 
issue of fairness to the more than 1.5 million military retirees across 
our Nation.
  Unfortunately, the Senate insisted on dropping this provision from 
the conference report on the Balanced Budget Act which we considered in 
the House yesterday. Because I believe this issue is so important and 
should be dealt with immediately, I have introduced H.R. 2664 with 130 
co-sponsors to restore COLA equity for military and civil service 
retirees.
  While some may propose changing our Nation's military retirement 
benefits to achieve further budget savings, as the Chairman of the 
National Security Appropriations Subcommittee my priority is to ensure 
that promises made to our Nation's military personnel are kept. I have 
steadfastly opposed any changes which break this pact and treat 
veterans and military retirees unfairly and would urge the House 
leadership to expedite the consideration of H.R. 2664.

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