Military advocacy groups are angered over the military pension cuts included in a deal passed in Congress last week and have vowed to fight against the new budget, WHAM TV reported.
The deal, created by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and currently awaiting President Obama's signature, ends pension increases for military retirees under the age of 62. It also increases spending now in return for cuts later on, reducing the deficit by $23 billion over the next 10 years.
Following ardent protests of the cuts from military groups, some lawmakers said they will possibly review the deal next year. However, defense officials and analysts suggested a second review will most likely not prevent future cuts to benefits and compensation packages.
"We all know that we need to slow cost growth in military compensation," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday. "We know that many proposals will be controversial and unpopular. ... Tough decisions will have to be made."
In an op-ed for USA TODAY, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) defended the cuts as well.
"For me, there's simply no choice between responsible reforms of military compensation and making what our military leadership has called 'disproportionate cuts to military readiness and modernization,'" Ryan wrote. "Every time we kick the can down the road, we put our troops' combat readiness at risk. This agreement put forward one reform option, and I invite others to do the same."
A White House petition asking for Obama to veto the bill has 18,000 signatures as of Monday.
"Military retirees have risked their lives, sacrificed normal family life, and given their prime earning years to defend this nation," the petition says. "One of the primary motivators for military members to spend an entire career in the military is the promise of a retirement benefit that cannot be made worthless by inflation. The Ryan/Murray proposal breaks that promise."
Despite the backlash from the deal, the White House has not indicated that Obama would consider not signing the new budget.
In his op-ed, Ryan made sure to address the point of fair compensation to members of the armed forces.
"To be clear, the money we save from this reform will go right back to the military," he wrote. "Veterans aren't Washington's piggy bank. They deserve fair compensation. And we owe them a benefit structure they can count on."
