Tag: United States Senate Committee on Armed Services

Senators Look to Block Budget Deal’s Cut to Military Retirement

Senators Look to Block Budget Deal’s Cut to Military Retirement

Carolyn Kaster/AP

Senators blocked a proposal to restore $6 billion in cuts to military retirees as part of the budget deal, but the issue will be back when the Senate reconvenes at the start of 2014.

The recently passed deal decreases the annual cost-of-living adjustment for working-age military retirees by 1 percent over 10 years. But the cut doesn’t begin taking effect until December 2015, and a handful of senators and outside groups are hoping that’s enough time to stop it.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., moved early to undercut the provision. He said before the budget agreement was passed that panel members would review any changes next year. A specific timeline for such a review has yet to be announced, and Levin only offered that the review would happen before the cuts start. Continue reading “Senators Look to Block Budget Deal’s Cut to Military Retirement”

Congress, with the clock ticking, nears deals on defense and budget bills

Congress, with the clock ticking, nears deals on defense and budget bills

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg – The U.S. Capitol stands in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013.
 

By and , Published: December 9 E-mail the writers

After compiling a reed-thin record of achievement for 2013, the House and Senate began their final week of the year together in Washington on the verge of breakthroughs on a new defense policy bill and budget agreement, deals that could permit lawmakers to boast of modest year-end successes and enjoy their first extended Christmas break since at least the start of the Obama presidency.

Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) is determined to adjourn the House for the year on Friday. The Senate plans on remaining in town until Dec. 20. It is a short schedule that forced leaders of the House and Senate armed-services committees Monday to scale back their ambitions and agree to move ahead with a modified version of the National Defense Authorization Act, one of the few “must pass” measures left for the divided Congress.

Video

@TheBudgetGuy Stan Collender tells Chris Cillizza what the much-anticipated budget deadline has in common with the hit nineties television show.

@TheBudgetGuy Stan Collender tells Chris Cillizza what the much-anticipated budget deadline has in common with the hit nineties television show. Continue reading “Congress, with the clock ticking, nears deals on defense and budget bills”

Senators vow to avert sequestration cuts Sep. 26, 2012 – 05:40PM |

Senators vow to avert sequestration cuts

Sep. 26, 2012 – 05:40PM |
By SEAN REILLY |
 Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., left, and ranking member Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speak during a hearing in February.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., left, and ranking member Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speak during a hearing in February. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

Six senators are vowing to work across party lines to head off stiff automatic budgets cuts set to take effect in January.

“We are committed to working together to help forge a balanced, bipartisan deficit reduction package to avoid damage to our national security, important domestic priorities, and our economy,” Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., John McCain, R-Ariz. and four other lawmakers wrote in a Sept. 21 letter to Senate leaders. “All ideas should be put on the table and considered.”

The letter was made public this week. Continue reading “Senators vow to avert sequestration cuts Sep. 26, 2012 – 05:40PM |”

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