Sen. Reid suggests some military pension cuts may be restored

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid suggested some of the U.S. military retiree pension cuts in last month's budget deal could be restored in a funding measure.

Reid made the suggestion during debate before the Senate voted to advance a bill that would extend emergency unemployment insurance for three months.

Reid said he opposed Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's attempt to offer an amendment that would restore the cuts to the unemployment insurance bill Tuesday. Reid, D-Nev., said restoring the cuts likely would be addressed in the omnibus spending bill being negotiated by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., who lead their chambers' appropriations committees.

"I would bet that that's addressed in this deal that Mikulski and Rogers come up with -- this helping veterans," Reid said.

The pension cut negotiated late last year by budget committee leaders Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., would keep increases in the payments to 1 percentage point below inflation starting December 2015.

The omnibus spending bill is expected to be released as soon as Wednesday, the Hill said, and would fund the government for the rest of fiscal year 2014.