Continued Delay of Floor Action on the Major Richard Star Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I must take the floor in frustration regarding the continued delay of floor action on the Major Richard Star Act.

H.R. 1282 would expand eligibility to certain military retirees for concurrent receipt of veterans' disability compensation and retired pay or combat-related special compensation.

In the past, military servicemembers found to have endured a service- connected disability could not collect their pension and disability pay in unison. This was unfair.

To receive VA disability compensation, veterans had to forfeit their retirement benefits and pay back dollar-for-dollar the amount that would have been owed to them if they had received both benefits.

In the fiscal year 2004 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress created the Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay program. In doing so, veterans who are 100 percent disabled were authorized to receive both earned benefits--which is right--known as concurrent receipt, for the first time ever.

Since then, the law has expanded the eligibility to receive military retirement pay and their VA disability pay concurrently to military retirees with 20 or more years of service and a 50 percent or higher disability rating.

Under current law, concurrent receipt for military retirees who have a disability rating of 50 percent or higher was phased in through 2014.

While that certainly marked tremendous progress, medically retired veterans with less than 20 years of service who were wounded in combat must still offset their DOD retirement pay by their VA disability compensation. So unfair. So unjust.

Many of these veterans had the full intention of serving 20 or more years and gain full retirement benefits, but through no fault of their own, were unable to due to their service and sacrifice in the line of duty. They were injured.

This group of retired veterans, also known as Chapter 61 retirees, are arguably the most at-risk because of their complex combat injuries and are just as deserving as those who served greater than 20 years of service.

By creating the CRDP, I firmly believe that Congress admitted that the offset required of disabled veterans was wrong. Approximately 550,000 military retirees are eligible to receive both military retired pay and VA disability compensation but are prohibited under the current guidelines of this program. We must change that.

In my view, I see these veterans as essentially being taxed for their service and sacrifice because they were deemed service-connected disabled. What an injustice that we must correct.

This is a very popular and desired policy fix, Mr. Speaker. The Richard Star Act has 335 cosponsors in the House and 66, and growing, in the United States Senate. Most veteran service organizations, including the American Legion, the VFW, DAV, VVA, which is the Vietnam Veterans of America, AMVETS, Military Officers Association of America, Fleet Reserve Association, American Ex-Prisoners of War, and the Association of the Navy, strongly support this bill.

Given this support, why hasn't there been any action on this bill? The Richard Star Act got the required cosponsors necessary to get added to the Consensus Calendar back in September, but why has there been no action on this bill?

These are not just questions I have--it is not just me--but the cosponsors of the bill as well, and questions that many in the public have, including our heroes and their families that were affected.

Let's ask the Democratic leadership in the House and the Senate to consider the overwhelming public and congressional support for the Richard Star Act. Do not let this injustice continue. Please do not let this injustice continue.

We have a real opportunity, Mr. Speaker. Do right by these national heroes and include the Major Richard Star Act in the end-of-year omnibus. I can't think of a more worthy cause than honoring our commitment to our Nation's heroes.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source