Senate Passes Budget Agreement, 64-36

UPDATE 5:13 Defense Bill passes and will be voted on tomorrow. 70-29


Senate Passes Budget Agreement, 64-36

Defense Bill moves forward check back later

Military retirees 'screwed' in budget deal
CNN Money
By Jennifer Liberto
December 18, 2013

Military retirees are getting "screwed" by a budget deal expected to pass the Senate on Wednesday, said Sen. Lindsey Graham.

"Is the choice between keeping the government open and screwing all the military retirees? Is that that right choice?" said Graham, Republican from South Carolina.

At a news conference on Tuesday to oppose the budget deal, Graham asked: "Of all the people we could have picked on to screw, how could we have arrived here?"

Military retirees stand to lose a full percentage point from their cost-of-living raises when they retire after a minimum of 20 years of service. The House passed the budget plan last week, and the Senate is expected to vote Wednesday.

After an outcry from military families and workers, four Senate Republicans now say they plan to vote against the deal, in part because they oppose the pension cuts.

"I hope the Senate will move to address the unbalanced treatment of our service members before considering the legislation any further," said Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the budget panel.
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