[advocate10]

Please contact the WH with the link provided above. The letter is already written for you!

I am writing to urge you not to veto the FY 2003 Defense Authorization Bill over Congress' support for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation. Military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation are two entirely different things. Each is earned in its own right--retired pay for a career of arduous service and disability compensation for the pain and suffering, and lost future earnings, resulting from service-connected disabilities. In many cases, military members with decades of service must forfeit most or all of their earned retired pay to receive the same disability compensation paid to a similarly disabled member with just a few years of service. 90% of House members and 83% of senators recognize the right answer and have made it a national priority to fix this major inequity. In this time of heightened national awareness of the sacrifices inherent in military service, I cannot conceive that you would veto the defense bill for the express purpose of denying disabled military retirees their earned retired pay. I urge you most strongly to ignore any such misguided advice and to help bring closure to the great disservice our disabled military retirees now suffer. Sincerely,

[advocate10]

Ping!

[MJY1288]

Done deal, I sent a letter yesterday when I first heard of this, From what I have read, the veto threat did not come from the White House on this issue, The White House has said it would veto the bill if the "Crusader" weapons system was included.

[Kaisersrsic]

I must be missing something. Military retirment pay and veterans' disability compensation should both be generous, and a person eligible for both should get more money than a person only getting one, but why should anyone get full benefits under both programs at once? Most of us are both Patriots and Taxpayers here at FreeRepublic. I guess I should go back to work.

Before I put the gas can down and let the flames ignite, I better remind everyone that this anniegetyourgun started a "Complement Week" thread this morning so that we could be nice to each other.

[PISANO]

If as you say 90% and 83% of the congress critters support passage of this bill then IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE whether or NOT the President vetoes it, they would have the votes to OVERRIDE his veto.