WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate Budget and Armed Services committees, today voted to approve a bill that would restore full cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for current and future military retirees. It pays for the plan by extending sequestration budget caps on mandatory spending for an additional year into 2024.

In December, Wicker was the first Senator to voice concerns about the negotiated Murray-Ryan budget proposal because of the cuts it made to military retirement benefits.

“Today, the Senate acted responsibly to ensure the federal government holds up its end of the bargain for our men and women who have voluntarily dedicated their lives to military service,” Wicker said. “This bipartisan bill is a win for veterans and taxpayers. It repeals the cuts made to the pensions of at least 27,000 military retirees in Mississippi and protects the budget savings achieved by the latest budget deal.”

The legislation, S. 25, exempts those entering military service prior to January 1, 2014, from the COLA cuts contained in the Budget Act, which was passed by Congress last year. The bill now awaits President Obama’s signature.

“These cuts should have never happened in the first place,” Wicker added. “I am hopeful that Congress has learned an important lesson about the need to stop making deals behind closed doors.”