UPDATE ON DISABLED VETS SCREW JOB

The Retired Officer Association | Today

[advocate10]

This is TROA's legislative update for Friday, June 21, 2002.

Issue 1:  Senate Approves Concurrent Receipt Amendment.  The Senate has
adopted an amendment to the FY 2003 Defense Authorization Bill which would
fully eliminate the VA disability compensation offset to military retired
pay for all disabled retirees with 20 or more years of service, effective
October 1, 2002.

Issue 2:  Administration Issues Veto Threat.  A letter released by the
Office of Management and Budget on June 19 said the President's advisors
would recommend that he veto the FY2003 Defense Authorization Bill if it
includes a plan for partially or fully eliminating the disability offset
to military retired pay.  See below for a suggested message to the
President.

Issue 1:  Senate Approves Concurrent Receipt Amendment

On June 19, the Senate adopted an Armed Services Committee amendment to
the FY 2003 Defense Authorization Bill that would eliminate the VA
disability compensation offset to military retired pay for all disabled
retirees with 20 or more years of service, effective October 1, 2002.

Many thanks to all the people who sent more than 17,000 messages to
Congress on this subject through TROA's Web site this week.

As originally drafted, the Senate bill contained a provision similar to
that passed by the House in May, which would phase out the offset over
five years, but only for retirees with 20 or more years' service and
disability ratings of 60 percent or higher.

The new "full concurrent receipt" amendment, sponsored by Senate Armed
Services Committee (SASC) Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and the rest of the
SASC, was adopted by voice vote.

Senate leaders hope to complete action on a long list of other defense
bill amendments by the end of next week, before leaving for the
Independence Day recess.  That will set the stage for the real test in
July, when House and Senate leaders will sit down to resolve the
differences between their two versions of the bill-with the House's
phase-out plan as the floor and the Senate's "full" concurrent receipt
plan as the ceiling.

TROA is very grateful to many in the Senate for helping pave the way for
Wednesday's successful vote.  Special thanks in particular go to Chairman
Levin and Ranking Republican John Warner (R-VA) and Senators Tim
Hutchinson (R-AR), Harry Reid (D-NV), John McCain (R-AZ), Bob Smith
(R-NH), and Max Cleland (D-GA).  You can find a list of all of the members
of the SASC at http://www.senate.gov/~armed_services/members.htm

Issue 2:  Administration Issues Veto Threat

TROA was extremely disappointed, to say the least, at the contents of a
June 19 letter sent to Congress by the Office of Management and Budget,
which threatened a possible veto of the FY2003 Defense Authorization Act
if that legislation proposes eliminating the VA disability compensation
offset to military retired pay.  The letter asserted that the President's
advisors would recommend a presidential veto if the final Authorization
Act includes either the Senate plan to eliminate the offset immediately or
the House plan to phase in partial elimination for severely disabled
military retirees.

The Administration's opposition to this long-overdue initiative is nothing
new.  No Administration of either party has ever supported providing any
relief from the current unfair, in large measure because of the cost. 
But threatening to veto the defense bill if it provides any relief to
disabled retirees is a new low.

TROA shares Sen. Harry Reid's view of the letter, as he expressed them on
the Senate floor Wednesday.  "I know President Bush as well as most
members of the Senate," Reid said, "and this wasn't written by the
President.  It doesn't say he would veto the bill over the concurrent
receipt issue.  It says his advisors would recommend a veto. This was
written by staff bureaucrats.  If the President were to veto this, he'd
have to be a much different person than the George W. Bush I know.  Here's
what I'm doing with this staff letter." and he folded it up and put it in
a wastebasket.

When Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) asked how Congress was expected to pay for
this initiative, he was answered promptly by Senators Levin and Reid.

"We're going to pay for it the same way we pay for everything else
Congress approves," said Sen. Levin.  "Congress always has to make
difficult decisions on spending priorities," Sen. Reid added.  "But one of
the priorities we must take care of is treating our disabled military
retirees fairly."

It's precisely because the Executive Branch has failed to seek a fix for
the current gross inequity that Congress has seized the leadership role.

At a time when the country has been particularly sensitized to the
sacrifices of those who serve in uniform, TROA finds it difficult to
conceive that the President would veto the defense bill for the express
purpose of denying disabled military retirees their earned retired pay.

Should this actually occur, TROA and all other military and veterans
associations would expect the 83% of senators and 90% of House members who
have signed their names as cosponsors of this important legislation to
back up those signatures and override any such veto. But any possible need
for that is still at least a month away.

In the meantime, we urge TROA members and others to write the White House
to let the President know how far wrong his advisors have gone on this
issue. You can send a TROA-prepared message via TROA's Web site
( www.capwiz.com/troa/home/ ).  Just click on the "Don't Veto Concurrent
Receipt" action alert link, then click the "Go" button.

[Jumper]

Medically boarded at the end, held 3-months past 20-years and then given voluntary retirement which was already requested. Back surgery 10-months before retirement release and never really "healthly" (military medicine sometimes is not the greatest); limited light duties, and still in pain every single day of my life since 1992.... How about 60% for sciatic never injury, 6 disc damaged, 2 crushed, 2 post operative; 3 more ratings of 10%, and 6 additioanl for 0% (recognized for treatment at a VA center at 0%). VA opened a second claim as a result of my records and pending a decision on a separate rating for additional back injuries - Jumping out of airplanes is tough business, heavy equipment, night time, trees and other jumpers in the air - and then you get pavement or stone when you hit - was knocked unconscious 3-times; one of them was the one that did me in!

How bad? I don't know - I hurt every day and take medication for pain frequently; am on arthritus med's daily which helps, have used all every single day of my sick leave and vacation time in past 7-years for medical absence and been out without pay about another 12-weeks during that span - so you see my vacations are all "laid up". You be the judge but I wouldn't do a darn thing different if I had to do it all over again - Paratroopers and being a professional soldier was something most people will never understand, something most people could/cannot do.

Ouch:) But proud and willing to help anyone with anything.

[dalebert]

bump!

[MissAmericanPie]

I'm sure scamming goes on in all government programs, but given a choice I perfer to be scammed by a few service men, than an immigrant, legal or illegal and the Elected officals that support and promote that scam.

[NMFXSTC]

Tell ya what...Agent Orange doesn't appear until years after the exposure...that's hoe disabled! Cancers from AO are rampant as is Hep C, etc.

Remember...any draftee can and does claim and get full comp. for SC illness/injury...the ONLY ones who do NOT are retired mil.

[advocate10]

I have first hand knowledge of the system. I don't see how "scamming" could have taken place in my case, and probably very few others.

[MissAmericanPie]

I agree with you, I'm not saying there is scamming going on, I don't really care if there is. A few scammers is a sorry excuse for denying all our disabled veterns the assistance they need and deserve.

[advocate10]

In the meantime, we urge everyone to write the White House
to let the President know how far wrong his advisors have gone on this
issue. You can send a TROA-prepared message via TROA's Web site
( www.capwiz.com/troa/home/ ).  Just click on the "Don't Veto Concurrent
Receipt" action alert link, then click the "Go" button.

[advocate10]

Ping!

[MissAmericanPie]

Thanks for the heads up, emailed and sent.

[advocate10]

Thursday afternoon, following a week of debate, the Senate voted 92-to-2 to approve its version of the FY2003 Defense Authorization Bill (S. 2514).

As previously reported, S. 2514 would provide various pay and benefit improvements, including:
*A 4.1% to 6.5% pay raise for active duty, Guard and Reserve forces, depending on grade and longevity.
*Elimination of any TRICARE For Life preauthorization requirement for inpatient mental health treatment when Medicare is the primary payer.
*Acceptance of any willing Medicare provider as a TRICARE provider (eliminates some of the paperwork requirements that discourage doctors from participating in TRICARE).

Amendments added to the bill over the last week include provisions to:
*Authorize full concurrent receipt of uniformed services retired pay and VA disability compensation for all disabled retirees with 20 or more years of service, effective October 1, or the first day of the month after enactment, whichever is later.
*Increase service manpower ceilings for FY2003 (by 5,000 for the Army; 3,500 for the Navy; 3,500 for the Air Force; and 2,400 for the Marine Corps).

Now we have to get Dubya on board!

[advocate10]

Bump.

[surely_you_jest]

BTTT

[advocate10]

bttt.

[matrix]

Ping!

[fnord]

Maybe I missed this, but can you explain, in English, what 'full concurrent receipts' means?

I retire in a couple of years, and will likely get some disability. Does this bill affect that?

[fnord]

never mind, I see it now. they are talking about the disability offset (I missed that word in all that bold font). So yes, I am for the full concurrent amendment. Thanks for the heads up.

[F.J. Mitchell]

BTTT!

[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.

[surely_you_jest]

BTTT

[Eagle Eye]

B-b--b-but, "help is on the way"?