June 25, 2009
Rahall Helps Find Funds to Extend Disabled Veterans' Benefits
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Washington, DC (HNN) -- The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, June 24, 2009 acted to help provide a long-promised increase in benefits for disabled military retirees with funding made available through the assistance of Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-WV, Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.
“Whenever an opportunity arises for the Congress to step forward and act to ensure that our veterans receive the full benefits they have earned, this Member is at the front of the line,” said Rahall. “So when I was made aware of the need for monies to offset the cost of certain benefits to our veterans, I was proud to find the funds within the jurisdiction of the Natural Resources Committee.”
The Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act (H.R. 2990) would provide a temporary, one-year fix to allow qualified disabled, retired veterans to concurrently receive their full disability compensation as well as their full retirement pay. This represents a major change from current law in which retirement pay is reduced dollar-for-dollar by any amount received in disability benefits.
The bill also extends bonus and special pay to qualified service members who extend their military service or accept certain assignments, as well as adjust retirement pay for eligible members of the reserve.
“Most Americans, I believe, see it as deeply unfair and certainly counter to American values that disabled veterans would be penalized with cuts in compensation when they also receive retirement pay. That policy does not reflect the thanks of a grateful nation. That is a practice that must be stopped,” Rahall said.
The bill will be paid for with $50 million in receipts from the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Program, which falls under the jurisdiction of Rahall’s committee.
Rahall noted that some opponents will oppose the use of those funds to pay for veterans benefits and complain that this offset is too costly to the oil and gas industry.
He pointed out, however, that multinational oil corporations have spent $44.5 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies in just the first three months of this year.
“Madam Speaker, if those lucrative, multinational firms would simply call off their highly paid, smartly dressed lobbyists for three-and-a-half-months, this offset would be entirely covered. If asked to choose between the pay of deep-pocketed lobbyists and the debt we owe our veterans, I stand with America’s veterans,” said Rahall.
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Rahall Helps Find Funds to Extend Disabled Veterans' Benefits
Special to Huntingtonnews.net
Washington, DC (HNN) -- The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, June 24, 2009 acted to help provide a long-promised increase in benefits for disabled military retirees with funding made available through the assistance of Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-WV, Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.
“Whenever an opportunity arises for the Congress to step forward and act to ensure that our veterans receive the full benefits they have earned, this Member is at the front of the line,” said Rahall. “So when I was made aware of the need for monies to offset the cost of certain benefits to our veterans, I was proud to find the funds within the jurisdiction of the Natural Resources Committee.”
The Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act (H.R. 2990) would provide a temporary, one-year fix to allow qualified disabled, retired veterans to concurrently receive their full disability compensation as well as their full retirement pay. This represents a major change from current law in which retirement pay is reduced dollar-for-dollar by any amount received in disability benefits.
The bill also extends bonus and special pay to qualified service members who extend their military service or accept certain assignments, as well as adjust retirement pay for eligible members of the reserve.
“Most Americans, I believe, see it as deeply unfair and certainly counter to American values that disabled veterans would be penalized with cuts in compensation when they also receive retirement pay. That policy does not reflect the thanks of a grateful nation. That is a practice that must be stopped,” Rahall said.
The bill will be paid for with $50 million in receipts from the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Program, which falls under the jurisdiction of Rahall’s committee.
Rahall noted that some opponents will oppose the use of those funds to pay for veterans benefits and complain that this offset is too costly to the oil and gas industry.
He pointed out, however, that multinational oil corporations have spent $44.5 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies in just the first three months of this year.
“Madam Speaker, if those lucrative, multinational firms would simply call off their highly paid, smartly dressed lobbyists for three-and-a-half-months, this offset would be entirely covered. If asked to choose between the pay of deep-pocketed lobbyists and the debt we owe our veterans, I stand with America’s veterans,” said Rahall.
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