Senate Democrats have thumbed their noses at veterans of America’s military. They have sided with illegal aliens.
Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) proposed yesterday (9 Jan 14) a bill which would have replaced recent cuts to veteran’s pensions. The bill would also have closed a tax loophole that allows illegal aliens to access the Refundable Child Tax Credit. The bill was offered as an amendment to the unemployment benefits extension bill (S1845). The vote failed 54-42, with all Republicans – but Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) – voting for the amendment and against Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) voted with Republicans in favor of the amendment. Senator Ayotte argued her amendment “… would fix fraud in our tax code that really came to light in 2011 in a Treasury IG [Inspector General] report.”
When given a clear choice, all but one of the Democrats – and one Republican – sided with illegal aliens over military veterans.
As John Hawkins at Breitbart says:
It’s shameful that any member of Congress would choose to support illegal immigrants over American citizens, but it’s particularly grating that they put illegal aliens in front of our troops.
The pension cut of $6 billion over 10 years was brought about by the Ryan-Murray budget deal. The Ryan-Murray budget deal hikes federal spending by $65 billion over the next two years, with hikes “paid for” by budget cuts, increased fees, and reductions, one of which is a reduction in pension benefits to veterans younger than 62. The budget deal would reduce the yearly cost-of-living adjustments for these military veterans. It would even impact those veterans who were forced to retire due to injuries sustained in the service of our country.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) tried to amend the pension reduction in the Ryan-Murray budget by repealing the changes to military pensions, and also to eliminate a welfare program benefiting illegal immigrants. Sessions said:
Removing this unbalanced treatment of our military retirees ought to be one of the key actions we should take before this legislation moves forward. In fact, greater savings than this can be achieved by passing a legislative fix recommended by the Inspector General of the U.S. Treasury that would stop the IRS from improperly providing tax credits to illegal aliens. [emphasis mine]
So all you Nevada residents, remember what Dean Heller did. And all you West Virginia residents, remember Joe Manchin. All Wisconsin residents, remember Paul Ryan as well.
Full Disclosure: I am a veteran. I served 22 years in the U.S. Army. I receive a pension. I am over 62 years old.
Cross-posted at The Pot Stirrer, my very conservative web site.