Heinrich Votes To Restore Military Retiree Benefits

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement today after voting in favor of a bill to restore the pension cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to military men and women's retirement pay. The measure passed the Senate by a vote of 95-3 and now goes to the President for his signature.

"The bipartisan budget resolution helped avoid another government shutdown and did away with some of the arbitrary spending cuts known as the sequester while providing some stability for our economy. But the final agreement wasn't perfect, especially because of the cuts to Cost-of-Living Adjustments benefits for our military retirees. 

"It's critical that we continue to reduce our deficit, but we must do it responsibly. Balancing the budget on the backs of our veterans and their families is not an option.

"Our men and women in uniform have risked their lives to protect our nation and deserve more than words of gratitude for their sacrifice. They deserve the quality care and benefits that they were promised. 

"New Mexico is home to thousands of service members and veterans and I will continue to work to ensure that our future military retirees receive the benefits that they have earned."