COLA Fight Continues

Advocacy groups for service members and veterans continue to press the Obama administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to back off on a deal that would decrease cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for future retirees. While the Senate debated the issue and the House pondered a plan that would link COLA restoration to raising the debt ceiling, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) warned all decision-makers “not to use veterans as a political chew toy.” Working in partnership with the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other groups, IAVA stated that the proposed cuts could cost a retired E-7 as much as $83,000 during his or her lifetime. The IAVA figure differs slightly from the official estimate coming from Capitol Hill. According to a recent Congressional Research Service report, the average retired enlisted would receive 4 percent less, while an average retired officer would receive about 2.3 percent less, than they would have under the current system. “Congress shouldn’t balance the budget on the backs of those who have already sacrificed the most,” IAVA stated. “We can assure members of both parties that veterans are watching closely to see who plays politics – and who steps up to restore the retirement pay Congress so recklessly cut.”