Gallego Announces Proposed Cost-of-Living Adjustment Fix for Medically Retired Disabled Vets, Survivors

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Pete P. Gallego (D-Alpine) announced the House will take up a proposed “fix” to cost-of living adjustments (COLA) for medically retired disabled veterans and their survivors. The fix is included in the bipartisan Omnibus funding bill presented by House and Senate Appropriations Committees Monday night. The House will begin consideration of the legislation today and the Senate is expected to consider it later this week.

“Honoring our disabled men and women who served and their families is very important to me – a son of a veteran,” he said. “Since Congress reconvened last week, I’ve pushed for a full fix on this issue. We have a working plan that takes care of medically retired disabled veterans and their survivors, and I fully support it. Now, we must take care of working-age retired and disabled veterans, too. I will continue to work on this.”

The Omnibus bill restores $600 million for disabled veterans and their surviving families’ pensions and includes a 1 percent across-the-board pay increase for military personnel.

U.S. Rep. Gallego’s Actions to Fix Vets Cola

Last week, U.S. Rep. Gallego wrote to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Kentucky) and U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland), chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees – charged with funding the government – and asked they act on COLA issue.

·         Click here to read U.S. Rep. Gallego’s letter to Speaker Boehner.

·         Click here to read U.S. Rep. Gallego’s letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairs.

On Dec. 19, 2013, U.S. Rep. Gallego, and dozens of other members of the House, sponsored legislation to repeal COLA cuts. The bill is spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Florida), chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and a Republican. The cuts are part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. Under this current law, working-age military retirees would see their pensions increase at a slower pace, with their COLAs incorporated to the rate of inflation minus 1 percent point starting in 2015.

For more information about U.S. Rep. Gallego’s work, visit his website, www.gallego.house.gov.