Veterans

Veterans

Our veterans have given so much on behalf of our country; I believe it is our responsibility to use our resources to make their lives and the lives of their families more comfortable. I understand and respect the sacrifice that so many have made for our great country, which is why I will work in Congress to ensure that every veteran receives compensation for their tremendous sacrifice. Most veteran's issues fall under the responsibilities of the federal government, and I am proud to report that we have recently accomplished a lot for disabled vets and retirees. I will continue to work hard with my colleagues to find additional funds so that important veterans programs like health care, job training and disability are fully funded.

I am also committed to fully funding President Bush's initiative to reduce and eliminate the claims backlog at the Veterans Benefits Administration. All veterans deserve to receive their benefits in a timely and consistent manner, and clearing the current backlog will help us reach this goal. I will continue to support the measures to increase veterans funding that have yet to be considered during this Congress. Because of new resources, provided through the appropriations process, the VA was able to reduce the number of veterans on long-term waiting lists by more than 98 percent in just two years. The number on the waiting list has fallen from 300,000 in 2002 to less than 6,000 today.

Rest assured, I will do all I can to ensure the honorable and equitable treatment of all military personnel, active and retired. I believe Congress can and should do more.

Survivior Benefit Plan

In the Defense Authorization Act of 2005, we were able to eliminate the Social Security offset under the Survival Benefit Plan (SBC). I was one of four original co-sponsors of this plan that will ensure there will no longer be a discrepancy between the benefits given to military retirees and the benefits given to survivors of other federal retirees.

The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) was enacted in 1972. Under the current plan, survivors of military retirees are faced with a 20% drop in their pension once they reach age 62. The typical recipient experiences a reduction in their annuity from 55% of the retiree's pay to 35%. This unexpected loss of income can be financially devastating to families who have been operating on tight budget.

The plan included in the Defense Authorization would eliminate the Social Security offset under SBP and increase the annuities paid to survivors of military retirees who are 62 or older from 35 percent of retired pay to the percentages indicated for the following periods:

(1)For months after September 2005 and before
April 2006: 40 percent

(2)For months after March 2006 and before
April 2007: 45 percent

(3)For months after March 2007 and before
April 2008: 50 percent

(4)For months after March 2008: 55 percent

Concurrent Receipt

During the 108th Congress, I worked closely with the House leadership to solve the concurrent receipt problem. Through our hard work and persistence, my colleagues and I were able to add language into the 2004 Department of Defense Authorization Act that provided concurrent receipt to over 250,000 veterans beginning in January of 2004.
Under this legislation all veterans who have received or will receive any degree of combat related disability will receive full concurrent receipt of their retirement pay and their disability pay. They will receive 100 percent of their earned retirement pay, and 100 percent of the disability pay they are eligible for, regardless of their individual disability rating. There will also be full concurrent receipt of retirement pay and disability pay for any soldier injured during a combat related training exercise. This will not only applies to all veterans who currently receive such pay, it will also apply to all future veterans who may be eligible for disability pay.

In regards to those who have received non-combat related disability or non-combat training related disability, there will be a ten-year phase in for those veterans with a disability rating of 50 percent or higher. This will provide all those individuals with full concurrent receipt of retirement pay and disability pay. In addition, there will be a blue ribbon commission created that will be charged with studying the best way to effectively and efficiently address the concerns of those whose disability rating is below 50 percent with concurrent receipt of their retirement pay and disability pay.

Additionally, this plan removed the barrier and extend full concurrent receipt to all retired National Guard and reservists who are Purple Heart recipients, or who are combat-related special compensation (CRSC) qualified. Very few retired reservists and National Guardsmen now qualify under current law for the Purple Heart or CRSC concurrent receipt.

© 2008 Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4), All Rights Reserved.