Bill would give veterans full payment of retirement and disability benefits they deserve

February 14, 2011

Washington, D.C. — Nevada Senator Harry Reid today reintroduced legislation to keep our promises to our men and women in uniform by restoring full payment of retirement and disability benefits to more than 500,000 veterans in Nevada and around the country. 

Because of an outdated and unjust 19th century law, career military retired veterans currently are the only group of federal retirees required to waive their retirement pay in order to receive VA disability. Reid’s legislation ends this discrimination against career military men and women by providing our nation’s heroes with the full pay and benefits they have earned.

“The current law was passed in 1891 and is a slap in the face to Nevada’s service members defending our freedoms around the world,” said Reid.  “It is unconscionable to deny Nevada veterans who’ve honorably served their country the full retirement and disability pay they’ve earned.”

Reid added:  “We need to do more to deliver for the men and women in uniform who’ve risked their lives to keep us safe.  That’s why I’m disturbed that Republican leaders continue to refuse to take a government shutdown off the table that could leave nearly 250,000 Nevada veterans without their retirement and health benefits.”

In 2003, Reid led the Senate in passing legislation to allow concurrent receipt for veterans with at least a 50 percent disability rating to become eligible for full concurrent receipt by 2013.  In 2004, Reid successfully fought to eliminate the 10-year phase in period and provided full concurrent receipt of military and disability pay to veterans with 100 percent service-related disability. 

A civil service retiree may receive both civil service retirement and VA disability with no offset.  The current law was passed in 1891.  sends the wrong message to our service members defending our freedoms around the world.

###