Politics

Liberal senator to lecture Republicans on how to restore veteran benefits in full

Patrick Howley Political Reporter
Font Size:

Liberal independent Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to take the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon to oppose the House Republican bill to restore most veteran pension cuts – because he says the Republican bill doesn’t go far enough to help veterans.

The Republican bill to restore military COLA (Cost-of-Living Adjustment) cuts passed the House Tuesday 326-90 and comes to the Senate floor for discussion Wednesday afternoon.

Sanders, the uber-liberal Vermont senator, is going to use part of a planned floor speech to oppose the bill, The Daily Caller has learned. Sanders will oppose it because it only restores 2/3 of the COLA cuts put in place by Republican Rep. Paul Ryan and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray’s recent budget agreement, and Sanders wants all the cuts restored. A provision in a veterans bill sponsored by Sanders would restore the COLA cuts in full.

The COLA cuts only saved the federal government approximately $6 billion in a budget agreement rife with spending.

Paul Ryan voted against the Republican COLA restoration bill Tuesday in the House.

Sanders’ office declined to comment.

Follow Patrick on Twitter