Amendment by Sen. Hutchinson would add to military retirees' pay

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S.1237 : A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive military retired pay concurrently with veterans' disability compensation.
Sponsor: Sen Hutchinson, Y. Tim - Latest Major Action: 6/17/1999 Referred to Senate committee
Committees: Senate Armed Services     Also see H.R. 65

KEVIN FREKING
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE                      Honoring Our Nation's True Heroes

WASHINGTON -- Thousands of military retirees in Arkansas would see their monthly incomes increase significantly under an amendment offered by U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson, R-Ark.
    The amendment appears to have strong support, but it's not yet clear if a majority of senators favor it. It could come up for a vote as early as today.
    The amendment would affect only those retirees who are physically or mentally disabled as a result of their military service. Still, there are some 435,000 people nationally who fit into that category. Hutchinson's staff estimates that the retirees' incomes would increase an average of $318 per month if the amendment is approved.
    Veterans groups applaud the Republican's amendment because they say disabled military retirees are being discriminated against.
    Here's how, they say: A military retiree sees his monthly retirement pay reduced $1 for every $1 received in disability payments. Retirees from other branches of the federal government, such as postal workers or park rangers, do not experience such offsets. They continue to get their full retirement pay plus the amount deemed appropriate because of their disability.
    "That means disabled military retirees are paying for their own disability, which is ludicrous," said Bob Manhan, assistant legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
    The Congressional Budget Office estimates that Hutchinson's amendment could total as much as $40 billion over the next 10 years. Hutchinson said he plans to pay for the benefit by tapping into President Bush's $1 trillion contingency fund. He does not know if the president supports his amendment.
    "He just hasn't taken a position, but they have built into the budget a contingency fund," Hutchinson said. "This is $40 billion over 10 years, so this is a small amount in the big scheme of things."
    Similar proposals have been made in recent sessions of Congress, but the amendment's chances of passage this year appear to be better than in past years, Hutchinson told members of the veterans lobby Tuesday. Hutchinson said Senate Bill 170 has some 40 co-sponsors this year, while a similar bill in the House has nearly 300 co-sponsors.
    "It's something that everyone has realized as unfair," Hutchinson said. "There has been a reluctance to do something because of the expense involved. This is the time to do it with the surplus we have and the contingency fund that the president has built into the budget.
    "We've tried various approaches and always have run into one roadblock or another. This, we think, is the year it can actually happen."
    Veterans groups have long contended that pay received for retirement and pay received for disabilities suffered while on active duty should be considered separate entitlements. Manhan said the VFW considers the amendment's passage one of its top priorities.
   

This article was published on Thursday, April 5, 2001

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