Sun Herald, The (Biloxi, MS)
October
25, 2003
Section: LOCAL-FRONT
Edition: TSH
Page: A9
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| Last
week, House Republican Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri announced
that House and Senate leaders agreed to a $22 billion plan to make
veterans who are 50 percent or more disabled from a service-connected
incident eligible to receive both disability and retirement funds,
something they've been barred from collecting since 1890.
But Taylor, a Democrat from Bay St. Louis, said although the plan shows some progress, he isn't satisfied with it and will continue to fight for a deal that will give all disabled retired veterans, regardless of how disabled they are, access to both funds. "What I'd like to see is those people who have earned their retirement and earned their pain and suffering disability pay to get both," Taylor said. "Not one reduced at the expense of the other, not some sliding formula, or any of these other plans that are more concerned with the bottom line." House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California called the plan "not good enough," while Blunt said "the proposal means an end to the unfair penalty on disabled veterans." Under current law originally aimed at Civil War veterans, disabled retirees must surrender a dollar in retirement pay for every dollar they receive in disability pay. Effort to overhaul this law was started 18 years ago by U.S. Republican Rep. Michael Bilirakis of Florida, but the price tag was put around $58 billion and thus deemed too expensive. Pressure from veterans groups and members of Congress coupled with a number of newly disabled veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan forced House and Senate leaders to act on the issue. The new proposal would be phased in over a decade and should be attached to a defense bill currently being considered in a joint House-Senate committee. Beginning Jan. 1, 2004, it would increase monthly paychecks for about 245,000 service-connected disabled veterans who are 50 percent or more disabled. The Veterans Affairs Department determines disability percentages. Monthly payments would increase by $100 for those veterans who are considered 50 percent disabled, up to $750 for those considered 100 percent disabled. Both Purple Heart veterans --- those hit by enemy fire --- and other disabled veterans with combat-related special compensation would be eligible to receive the benefit increases under the plan. Retired National Guard and reservists who fall into either of these categories would also qualify. In addition, the plan would set up a commission to review the current veteran disability system. "One school of thought is that perhaps some judges have been a little too generous in granting disability and that some of these folks should be retested," Taylor said. "I wouldn't have a problem with that. I think every American wants to see that veterans who truly need the help are taken care of."
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INFO BOX: Concurrent receipt The current proposal would increase monthly paychecks for retired disabled veterans gradually over a 10-year period, beginning Jan. 1, 2004. Percentage of disability is determined by the Veterans Affairs Department. Percentage of disability Increase in 2004 0-49 percent $0 a month 50 percent $100 60 percent $125 70 percent $250 80 percent $350 90 percent $500 100 percent $750 |
