Veteran Bill Would Cut Disability Benefits, Democrat Says
Summary
A new veterans benefits bill called the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act is moving through Congress. It includes the Major Richard Star Act, which would allow thousands of disabled combat veterans to receive full retirement and disability pay, but critics worry the bill could reduce benefits for many other veterans.Key Facts
- The Major Richard Star Act would let about 54,000 combat-wounded veterans get full military retirement pay and disability compensation without cuts.
- These veterans could see an average increase of around $1,200 per month.
- Currently, many medically retired combat veterans face a reduction in retirement pay equal to their disability benefits.
- The bill aims to fix this by removing that offset, named after Richard Star, an Army Reservist affected by this issue.
- Critics, including Senator Richard Blumenthal and the Disabled American Veterans group, say the bill may cut $57 billion from benefits for veterans with conditions like tinnitus and sleep apnea.
- Opponents argue funding should come from the Department of Defense, not from changing disability ratings.
- Supporters, including Senator Jerry Moran, say cost offsets are necessary for the bill to pass Congress because of legal requirements.
- The bill represents a trade-off between expanding benefits for some veterans and reducing costs in other areas of veterans’ disability programs.
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