Sean Patrick Maloney: “This legislation will tighten a loophole in the law regarding military retirement pensions. I was very disappointed to…”

“This legislation will tighten a loophole in the law regarding military retirement pensions. I was very disappointed to see a soldier who was recently convicted of a felony go unpunished. Certainly, any soldier who has served honorably deserves a full pension, but any soldier who has been demoted due to the commission of a crime should not be entitled to retire based upon the highest rank served. Unfortunately, this defense authorization bill also includes a provision that no one wants. I am very disappointed in the Committee on Rules for not allowing a vote on gender segregation during basic training in all branches of the Armed Services. My amendment to strike this language was dismissed by the Committee on Rules. The Army, the Navy, the Air Force have all come out against gender segregation, because they know men and women must train as they fight. Separating them creates an atmosphere of distrust and may affect military readiness. Just as soldiers from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds must learn to become a cohesive group, so must men and women.”