Disabled veterans are currently unable to receive full retirement compensation due to an offset that reduces their retirement pay by the amount they receive in service-connected disability compensation. The Major Richard Star Act, now before both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, seeks to address this issue.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), which counts many military veterans among its members, has announced its support for the bill. The legislation also has backing from several major veterans organizations, including Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), The American Legion, and Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
If passed, the Major Richard Star Act would allow certain qualified veterans to receive both their full retirement pay and disability benefits concurrently. Currently, combat-injured and medically retired veterans face a reduction in their retirement pay equal to what they receive in disability compensation—a policy often referred to as the “Wounded Veteran Tax.”
IAM Union is urging members of the public to contact their legislators in support of the bill. “On behalf of the 600,000 active and retired members of IAM Union, I want to thank the bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives for supporting this very important piece of legislation that is intended to improve the lives of those who have sacrificed so much for this country,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “The IAM is a diverse labor union with a very significant number of veterans in our membership. We will always fight for the rights of our veterans. The House and the Senate must pass the Major Richard Star Act to end the unjust offset that penalizes combat-injured veterans by denying them the full benefits they have earned.”
Supporters say passing this bipartisan measure would remove an existing financial penalty on combat-injured, medically retired veterans by allowing them access to both military retirement pay and VA disability compensation.
