Washington,
Oct 19, 2003 -
For more than 100 years, military veterans have been barred from collecting both disability and full retirement pay from the U.S. government. But Republican leaders in Washington are now proposing a $22 billion plan that would allow those benefits.
Some veterans are calling it a victory, but others consider it a sellout. “I’m not quite sure I call it a victory, but this compromise certainly appears to be better than any of the meatless bones cast out in 2000, 2001 and 2003,” said Charlie Revie, a Las Cruces veteran who has been pushing elected federal leaders for legislation.
Referred to as concurrent receipts, the proposal would allow certain career military veterans disabled in the line of duty and who draw disability pay, as well as some veterans with non-combat related disability, to also collect the full amount of retirement pay.
More than 250,000 veterans would be affected by the proposal, parts of which could be enacted as soon as January of 2004.
Las Cruces Army veteran Jim Eckman, who may fall under that category because his disability is not combat-related, said the provision would “be a real break” for those veterans who must decide whether to draw retirement pay or disability.
Many of those veterans have been part of a reignited effort to push for change in Washington over the last decade.
But Eckman said without a new source of money, such as an increase in taxes, the estimated $22 billion over 10 years would have to come from somewhere within the existing Department of Defense budget, such as Veterans Affairs, which he said has seen its budget reduced systematically over the years. “I don’t want to see any veteran lose benefits with the VA,” Eckman said. “I’d
hate to see other veterans suffer because of this, especially if they throw this in the VA system without providing additional funds to pay for it.” A law passed by Congress in 1892 was intended to address the budget strains created by Civil War-era veterans. Under that law, veterans who spent their careers in the military can draw disability for service-connected disabilities, but would have their retirement pay reduced by the same amount. Retirees who suffered their disabilities in combat on the battlefield are Purple Heart recipients and are already eligible for full dual benefits, according to Associated Press wire reports.
In a telephone conference call Thursday, Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., said Republican leaders have drafted an outline of the legislation that could be presented to a congressional committee by the end of the year. “I feel we’re doing the best we can to cure a 100-year old problem. Anytime we can get something like this done, I think is a significant gesture,” Pearce said.
Veterans classified with 50 percent or less disability would not be included in this particular legislation, said Pearce, who served as an Air Force pilot in Vietnam.
“I feel from the House side, and from my perspective as a veteran, that we’ve got a very good package,” Pearce said.
But Paul Balaich, a veteran who lives in Alamogordo, disagrees. “Unfortunately, Representative Pearce and I do not see eye to eye on veterans issues,” Balaich said. “If Steve Pearce was sincere about benefits for veterans, he would have signed on to the discharge petition that would have
released House Resolution 303 (concurrent receipts legislation).” Currently the discharge petition has 203 signers, 201 Democrats and two Republicans. The petition needs 218 signatures to bring it to the floor of the House for an up or down vote.
“The compromise being brought forward by the administration and the Republican majority in the House will not permit 399,362 disabled veterans, rated from 10 percent to 40 percent, to participate in the program. These veterans are hopping mad and rightly so. This deal smells to the high heavens and should not be permitted to go through,” Balaich said.
John Brieden, national commander of the American Legion, said the proposed legislation was unsatisfactory.
“It’s a matter of priorities. Just compensation for service-disabled military retirees should be no less a priority than rebuilding Baghdad,” Brieden said. “I’m sure a lot of hard work went into this, and we appreciate it. But creating a two-tiered benefits system, that favors one group of service-disabled military retirees over another, is not the answer.” A blue ribbon congressional committee would be created to examine the current system of disability and retirement pay, as well as the proposed legislation and the 10-year phase in plan.
Pearce said the proposed provision has support from Republican leaders in both the House and Senate, as well as support from the White House, which in the past years has in general rejected earlier proposals for $58 billion. But he said he didn’t know what the support from Democrats would be, and he said it could become political going into the 2004 presidential and congressional elections.
Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., criticized the agreement and said the measure falls short.
“It’s been so difficult to get this president and the current leadership in Congress to do anything substantive on concurrent receipt that I think many veterans will be happy with any progress,” Udall said. “The fact is, however, that the deal being advanced still leaves too many veterans behind. I believe this agreement is really a desperate attempt for political cover. I hope veterans won’t stop fighting for the full benefits they deserve.”
