02/11/2014 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS

               HJR 21-MILITARY RETIRMENT BENEFITS                                                                           
                                                                                                                              
1:39:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX announced  that the next order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 21,  Opposing cuts  to retirement                                                               
benefits  owed to  members of  the armed  services of  the United                                                               
States;  and  urging  the  United   States  Congress  to  approve                                                               
legislation allowing members of the  armed services of the United                                                               
States to receive promised retirement benefits.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:39:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   BOB  LYNN,   Alaska  State   Legislature,  prime                                                               
sponsor,  introduced HJR  21.   He  paraphrased  from a  prepared                                                               
statement as follows:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     I believe  our troops  expect an  attack on  a military                                                                    
     battlefield.     Our   troops,   active  and   retired,                                                                    
     shouldn't have to  suffer an attack by  Congress on our                                                                    
     military.  I'm  sorry to say that  Congress has enacted                                                                    
     legislation - signed  by the President -  that will cut                                                                    
     the  cost of  the  living  allowances -  or  COLA -  to                                                                    
     military  retirees,   retirees  that   include  wounded                                                                    
     veterans and  disabled veterans.   It was  a bipartisan                                                                    
     outrage in the name  of compromise. ... Everybody knows                                                                    
     there is  no shortage of places  where Congress should,                                                                    
     and could,  cut spending.   There  is simply  no excuse                                                                    
     for our  government to breaking  the de  facto contract                                                                    
     between the USA and our  wonderful warriors.  So that's                                                                    
     why I sponsored this joint house resolution ....                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:42:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX opened  public testimony on HJR 21.   There being                                                               
no one who wished to testify, public testimony was closed.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:42:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIGGINS  related his  personal experience  is that                                                               
the  government has  whittled down  benefits to  military members                                                               
and  retirees,  especially  medical  benefits.    The  government                                                               
spends money on frivolous issues  and he agreed that the contract                                                               
with those who serve should be honored.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HUGHES noticed  [from supporting  documents found                                                               
in  the  committee   packet]  the  amount  of   savings  to  [the                                                               
government]  is $6  billion,  but the  impact  on individuals  is                                                               
between  $70,000  and $80,000.    She  agreed with  the  previous                                                               
speaker and expressed her support for the resolution.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FOSTER added  that military  members do  not make  high                                                               
wages, and he expressed his support for the resolution.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG  expressed his  support and  thanked all                                                               
those who have served in the military.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LEDOUX expressed her support for the resolution.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:46:17 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES declared a conflict of interest.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG objected  for the  record.   He pointed                                                               
out - according  to [supporting documents found  in the committee                                                               
packet] -  that the term  "veteran" in the resolution  is limited                                                               
to those who  have been disabled or who have  served more than 20                                                               
years, thus for those who served  less, there is no conflict.  He                                                               
asked the sponsor for clarification.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN said [HJR 21]  is for retirees and those with                                                               
a medical retirement.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:47:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FOSTER moved  to report  HJR 21  out of  committee with                                                               
[individual]  recommendations  and   no  attached  fiscal  notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection, HJR  21 was  reported from  the House                                                               
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs.