The Great Pension Predicament!

Well, I never! You won't believe what's stirring up the Potomac teapot, darlings. Our very own Senator Mark Kelly, the astronaut with the lovely smile, is in a spot of bother. The Pentagon, bless its stern little heart, is actually going to cut his military retirement pay! Can you imagine? All this over a video, a little video!

Secretary Hegseth, that busybody, even slapped him with a formal letter of censure. Called his statements “seditious”! Seditious, I tell you! It’s enough to make my pearls clatter right off my neck.

This all started because our dear Mark — and a few other folks, mind you — put out a video telling service members they have the right to refuse unlawful orders. Now, back in my day, we just knew what was right and wrong, but apparently, these young whippersnappers need a video to explain things! Heavens to Betsy!

Grandma's Sarcastic Tea-Time Commentary

Honestly, you just can’t make this stuff up! Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, is carrying on like Mark Kelly tried to sail the USS Enterprise to Mars without permission. He says it’s “reckless misconduct” and that Captain Kelly “knows he is still accountable to military justice.”

(Oh, sweetie, did he really forget? It's not like he just landed from outer space yesterday!)

And then there's the talk about reducing his rank in retirement! Honestly, it sounds like something straight out of a soap opera, doesn't it? All this drama over a few words in a video. It makes you wonder what they're really trying to distract us from, doesn't it? Always a little something brewing beneath the surface, I always say!

What Actually Happened, Bless Their Hearts

So, here’s the skinny, without all the huffing and puffing. Senator Kelly, a retired Navy Captain and astronaut, was one of six Democrats who made a video back in November. In it, he said,

This was all sparked by the U.S. military conducting airstrikes on boats without Congressional authorization, which some folks were questioning the legality of.

Now, here’s the kicker: the other five — including a former CIA analyst and other veterans — aren't facing the same consequences. Why? Because they separated from service, while Mark Kelly actually retired. That means he's still under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Secretary Hegseth claims Kelly's statements between June and December 2025 characterized “lawful military operations as illegal” and violated Articles 133 and 134 of the UCMJ. Apparently, giving advice on refusing illegal orders is considered “seditious.” Well, I never!

Grandma Just Can't Even Today!

Honestly, the things they come up with! Mark Kelly, bless his heart, even scoffed at the investigation, saying it wouldn't intimidate him or other members of Congress from doing their jobs. And good for him, I say!

Then Senator Chuck Schumer, who sometimes gets it right, popped up to defend our Mark! He called Kelly a “hero” and a “patriot” and said Pete Hegseth was just a “lap dog” for Donald Trump. (Ouch! Tell us how you really feel, Chuck!) He even called it a “despicable act of political retribution.”

It just goes to show you, sweetie, there’s always a little more to the story than what they tell you on the evening news. This whole kerfuffle over a video, with pensions and