Congress Gets a Better Deal After 5 Years Than Most Enlisted Get After 20

The Gist:

Congress gets vested in a pension after 5 years that pays out at age 62 with TSP matching and federal health insurance access. An E-7 who serves 20 years gets about $3,000/month immediately in retirement—a congressman who serves 20 years gets about $5,000/month at 62, starting from a salary twice as high.

Meanwhile, these same members of Congress lecture veterans about being “too dependent” on service-connected compensation and push to means-test or cut VA benefits.

The piece calls out the hypocrisy: Congress would never accept having their own pensions means-tested or cut for “fiscal responsibility,” but they’re happy to apply that logic to veterans who actually got shot at for their benefits.

Bottom line: They set themselves up better after 5 years than most enlisted get after 20, then have the nerve to say we’re the ones getting too much.

You know what I love about Washington? Congress gaslighting veterans, pretending they’re all about having our best interests at heart. They …