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Washington, D.C – Nine House Republicans have announced they will not support cuts to the government’s retirement system. The cuts are part of the administration’s fiscal year 2018 budget proposal.

Noting that 30.9 percent of all federal employees are military veterans, the nine House members said the cuts proposed by the administration break the nation’s promise to the current and retired public employees who are counting on a secure retirement.

“They and their families don’t deserve to be treated in this cavalier manner,” according to the letter signed by Reps. Frank LoBiondo and Chris Smith of New Jersey; Rob Bishop of Utah; Tom Cole of Oklahoma; Barbara Comstock and Rob Wittman of Virginia; Walter Jones of North Carolina; Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania; and Austin Scott of Georgia.

“We commend these House members for publicly standing with their constituents and other federal employees around the country who are tired of being singled out in the name of deficit reduction,” said National Treasury Employees Union National President Tony Reardon. “Their letter puts House leadership on notice that any effort to slash federal salaries and pensions will be met with fierce, bipartisan resistance.”

The letter was sent June 17 to House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California.

The letter cites recent pay freezes, reduced pay increases, increased employee contributions and unpaid furloughs, which have already cost federal employees $182 billion since 2010.

“No one needs to remind us of the deficit and debt problem our nation faces, but federal employees are an easy political target,” the GOP members wrote. “In more ways than one, they have already repeatedly given at the office.”

More than 100 House Democrats had earlier announced their objection to the administration’s proposed retirement cuts, which together would result in all past, current and future federal employees paying more for fewer retirement benefits.

NTEU represents 150,000 employees at 31 federal agencies and departments.