anybody heard anything about this?

[Hawk]

Lawmakers Announce $22B Plan for Veterans

Oct 16, 9:01 PM (ET)

By JIM ABRAMS
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republicans announced a $22 billion plan Thursday to partially overturn a 19th-century policy depriving disabled veterans of some retirement pay.
For veterans groups who have spent years pushing for the change, it was a long anticipated, if not fully satisfying victory.
"We've worked hard to begin this process of fulfilling our obligations to our veterans," said House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a participant in weeks of negotiations to work out a compromise acceptable to the White House and GOP congressional leaders.
The plan, to be phased in over 10 years, would mean greater benefits for about 245,000 disabled veterans, nearly half of those who see their retirement benefits reduced or eliminated under current law.
The measure is now part of a defense bill, though it could shift to different legislation if the defense measure is stalled by other disputes, Blunt said.
Under an 1890 law aimed at Civil War veterans, retirees' retirement pay is reduced $1 for every dollar in disability compensation they receive. For years, veterans and their many allies in Congress have pushed to change this, but made little headway because of the cost, commonly put at about $58 billion over 10 years.
This year, with wounded military personnel returning from Iraq, the pressure for action has increased.
Under the compromise, veterans with a service-connected disability rated 50 percent or higher by the Veterans Affairs Department would get their full retirement pay after 10 years.
VA disability rates run from a tax-free $633 a month for those with a 50 percent disability to $2,193 for someone with 100 percent disability. Under the phase in, the 50 percent disabled person would get $100 a month effective Jan. 1, 2004, and the totally disabled person $750 toward their lost retirement pay.
Purple Heart veterans - those hit by enemy fire - and others with combat-related disabilities would get full benefits. Reservists and National Guard members would be eligible for this status.
The plan sets up a commission to review the current VA disability system to ensure it is equitable. "It doesn't solve the whole problem, but it is a giant step that will provide substantial relief for the most severely disabled and combat-wounded retirees," said Norb Ryan, retired Navy vice admiral and president of the Military Officers Association of America."
"This is a move forward," said Joe Violante, national legislative director of the Disabled American Veterans. "But it certainly is not everything and we're not going to give up the fight for those veterans that have not been included."
American Legion National Commander John Brieden said the nation's largest veterans group "will accept nothing less" than full benefits. "Just compensation for service-disabled military retirees should be no less a priority than rebuilding Iraq," he said.
Democrats have charged the White House and GOP leaders with shortchanging veterans while waging war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and were critical of the compromise.
"Republicans have put forward a deal that leaves far too many veterans behind," said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California, adding that Democrats forced Republicans to act. "Democrats made this issue too hot for Republicans to handle."
Republicans in turn said Democrats had done nothing on the issue in the four decades they controlled the House before 1995.
"This has been around for a century, and yet only now, at this hour, do we have a significant and ... historic conclusion to this problem," said Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Rep. Mike Bilirakis, R-Fla., the lead proponent on the issue since he first introduced legislation 18 years ago, said: "We didn't think it's enough either, but it's a heck of a lot more than we've ever seen before."
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[MORTARDUDE]

10 years.... !?!

Larry

[darrels joy]

It's now a real political hot potato.

I got an email yesterday from Griz containing a message from Washington State Senator Marie Cantwell.

In part...
You may be interested to learn that a compromise on concurrent receipt has been reached. Under this compromise, military retirees considered at least 50 percent disabled by the VA can start receiving both their disability and retirement pay over a ten-year phase in period. Although this compromise is a positive accomplishment and a step in the right direction, it remains an insufficient remedy to the persisting inequity in our veterans benefits system.
I know that this is an important issue to you and I want to reiterate my commitment to working toward full concurrent receipt.

She never cared before but many Washington State democratic politicians have embarassed themselves during the War on Terror.

Keep hammering and we'll see what happens :re:

[billr]

This is a copy of what I posted under the General Issues Forum.

Legislators Announce Concurrent Receipt Deal.
House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA),Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and concurrent receipt champion Rep. Mike Bilirakis (R-FL) met with MOAA and other military and veterans associations today to announce a final concurrent receipt agreement with Senate leaders and the White House.

The proposal will benefit as many as 200,000 disabled retirees in two ways:

First, all retirees with at least 20 years of service and VA disability ratings of 50% or higher will see their military retired pay offsets phased out over a ten-year period starting January 1, 2004.

Second, the recently enacted Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) will be expanded to include all combat- or operations-related disabilities from 10% to 100% ratings, also effective January 1, 2004. Currently, only those with qualifying disabilities rated 60% or higher or who have a disability associated with a Purple Heart are eligible.

In both cases, Guard and Reserve retirees with 20 qualifying years of service (including those with less than 7,200 retirement points) will be eligible.

CRSC payments are in the amount of the VA disability compensation paid for whatever percentage of the members disability rating is due to combat-related disabilities, as determined by the parent service. Retirees must apply to their parent service for CRSC payments, but there is no phase-in period for CRSC. DoD is discouraging all those not currently eligible for CRSC from applying until this provision is signed into law.

Disabled retirees rated 50% and higher who do not elect CRSC payments should start seeing their retired offset phased out automatically, starting January 1, 2004. No application is expected to be required. For 2004, qualifying retirees should see their retired pay increase by a flat amount, depending on disability, as follows:

$750 for 100% disabled;

$500 for 90%;

$350 for 80%;

$250 for 70%;

$125 for 60%; and

$100 for 50%.

The remaining retired pay offsets would then be phased out over the following nine years. In 2005, they would get back another 10% of any remaining offset; in 2006, they would get back 20% of the remaining offset; in 2007, 30% of the remaining offset; and so on. By January 2014, disabled retirees with 50% and higher ratings will be entitled to full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation.

Disabled retirees who qualify for both programs would have to choose one or the other. Because the CRSC program provides full payment immediately vs. the 10-year phase-in for concurrent receipt, legislators plan to allow an annual election option for CRSC-eligibles. This recognizes that a retiree who is 100% disabled, but only 60% of that is due to combat-related conditions, may find it advantageous to elect full CRSC payments for a few years until the concurrent receipt payment rises to a level that exceeds the CRSC payment. Because CRSC payments are tax-free and nondisability retired pay is not, this could also figure into qualifying retirees election decisions.

Designing specific procedures for retirees to make such elections is but one of the many administrative challenges the Defense Department will have to address in implementing the new authority.

The new agreement also calls for the formation of a special commission to review the VA disability system and recommend any needed changes. Of its 13 commissioners, at least seven will have to be highly decorated veterans. Four will be appointed by the House, four by the Senate, and five by the Pentagon and/or the VA.

"This is an extremely gratifying victory for disabled retirees," says VADM Norbert R. Ryan, Jr. (USN-Ret), President of MOAA. MOAA is extremely pleased that years of lobbying efforts by MOAA and others have paid such great dividends for thousands upon thousands of disabled servicemen and women. This new legislation wont solve the whole concurrent receipt problem, but its a giant step forward that will mean as much as $25,000 a year or more for 100% disabled retirees. We deeply appreciate the efforts of legislators who have fought so hard on this issue.

There certainly is no shortage of heroes who deserve a share of the credit for this historic victory. House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) played key leadership roles in negotiations with the White House. Special thanks also go to long-time concurrent receipt champions Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Rep. Mike Bilirakis (R-FL) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-VA). Particular appreciation is due Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA), whose discharge petition played a significant role in achieving this victory, and to Reps Thomas Tancredo (R-CO) and Walter Jones (R-NC), who had the courage to buck party guidance and put their names on the discharge petition.

The new agreement will be one provision of the FY2004 Defense Authorization Bill. House and Senate leaders are still conferring on other parts of the bill, but Chairman Hunter expects these negotiations will be complete by the end of October so the bill can be passed and sent to the President. Regardless of other provisions, said Rep. Blunt, who is the third-most senior House Republican, I can guarantee that this concurrent receipt agreement is locked in and will become law before Congress goes home this year.

[MORTARDUDE]

10 years, let's see...2013. If a serviceman was 17 years old in 1945, that would make him 85 in 2013. This is the lower threshold for WW2 vets. If a serviceman was 17 in 1953, he would be 77 in 2013. A serviceman who was 17 in 1975 would be
55 in 2013....I guess something is better than nothing. How does this work for survivors ?

Larry

DEO VINDICE