U.S. CONGRESSMAN JOHN C. FLEMING, M.D.

Washington, May 20 - In a small change with big implication for the nation’s 1.8 million military retirees, the House Armed Services Committee voted Wednesday to pay retirees early when the first day of a month falls on a weekend.

This change, if it becomes law, would not affect most months — but it would make for a happier new year for retirees who would get their Jan. 1, 2011, checks on Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. It would also result in earlier October 2011 checks, when the first of the month also falls on a Saturday.

Rep. John Fleming, R-La., who sponsored the amendment, said the change would treat military retirees the same as active-duty service members.

“The way things work right now, active-duty service members are paid early when the first of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, while the situation is reversed for retirees, who are paid on the first business day after the first of the month,” Fleming said. “Getting paid late is not just an inconvenience. For some people, this makes a difference in paying the rent on time or making sure a check clears.”

Fleming’s amendment, passed by voice vote, does not apply to survivor benefits because of legal issues related to advance payments, committee aides said.

Aides said that over the next five to 10 years, the payday change would lead to earlier checks in three or four months in each year.

Fleming, a Navy veteran, said the idea for the amendment came from recent discussions with retirees living near Barksdale Air Force Base, La. “This is one of those things that probably could have been addressed a long time ago,” he said.

While it sounds simple and noncontroversial, the change is not a sure thing because it carries budget implications. Paying retirees on Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, instead of on Monday, Oct. 3, 2011, shifts $4 billion in costs from fiscal year 2012 into fiscal year 2011, Fleming said.

The House Budget Committee determined this was acceptable only because the change does not increase defense spending over a five-year period.