Senate Republicans Block Benefits for Combat-Injured Veterans Amid Ongoing Military Conflict in Iran

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Senate Republicans today blocked two attempts from Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal's (D-CT) to advance the Major Richard Star Act-stalled bipartisan legislation to deliver more than 50,000 combat-injured veterans their full military benefits. Despite its overwhelming bipartisan support and importance for veterans, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) blocked the legislation saying "we simply cannot afford it."

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) first blocked Blumenthal's motion to pass the legislation and fix this injustice for disabled veterans. In response, Senator Blumenthal offered a compromise motion that would have set up a single roll call vote on the bill at a 60-vote threshold. The motion would have waived all procedural votes to protect floor time and gave Republican Majority Leader Thune discretion to call up the vote at any point before August. Johnson also blocked this motion, denying a bill with 77 bipartisan cosponsors a single vote.

"The simple request for a vote has been denied, there are a variety of excuses that have been offered, like it cost too much. Well, as the National Commander for the [Veterans of Foreign Wars] said today, in supporting this bill, costs of providing for our veterans are part of the cost of war," said Blumenthal. "We are in a war right now, real-time. And some of those combat-injured veterans will be sacrificing their disability or retirement pay because of this injustice…We can afford to right this injustice…it is a pittance compared to the cost of our national defense, which is close to a trillion dollars now. This country can afford to do the right thing by these combat-injured veterans, and we have a moral imperative to do so."

Blumenthal rebuked Johnson's claims for blocking action on the stalled legislation: "I am heartbroken for a nation that can afford to spend tens of billions of dollars, as we are doing right now, perhaps hundreds of billions, in a conflict far away putting American lives in harm's way, causing death, six at least so far, and casualties in real-time when we are failing to match their bravery with our own. It is unconscionable. A lot of words, a lot of numbers, a lot of fallbacks to Senate procedure process-meaningless."

This request for action from Blumenthal follows joint Senate and House Veterans' Affairs Committee hearings today and last week with Veterans Service Organizations, where veterans have continuously called on Congress to pass the Major Richard Star Act and cited the bill as their top legislative priority. Blumenthal continued, "This week and last, thousands of veterans have flown into our nation's capital from every corner of the country to advocate for their top priorities and collectively, they are calling on Congress, all of them, all of the Veteran Service Organizations, all of the groups that represent our nation's heroes, have told us unequivocally and repeatedly that correcting this injustice is absolutely necessary…A message to my colleagues: respect without action is meaningless. Rhetoric without action is meaningless. Words without action are worthless. So, let's put the politics aside and listen to our veterans."

After Johnson blocked both requests to advance the legislation, Blumenthal slammed Republican's continued obstruction for veterans as a "mockery of democracy."

The Major Richard Star Act is legislation to ensure medically retired combat-injured veterans can finally receive their full Department of Defense (DOD) retirement and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability payments, which currently receives a dollar-for-dollar reduction. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) previously blocked two attempts from Blumenthal in October to advance this legislation.

Currently, only veterans with disability ratings above 50 percent and more than 20 years of service are eligible to receive the full military benefits-leaving behind more than 50,000 combat-injured military retirees. The Major Richard Star Act will fix this unjust policy for medical retirees with a combat-related disability-providing them their full VA disability and DOD retirement payments. This legislation has overwhelming support from the majority of both chambers of Congress, with 77 bipartisan cosponsors the Senate and 316 bipartisan cosponsors in the House. It is named in honor of Major Richard A. Star, a decorated war veteran who was forced to medically retire due to his combat-related injuries. Major Star fought to fix this injustice facing combat-injured veterans until he lost his battle with cancer in 2021.

A transcript of Blumenthal's remarks are copied below. A video is available here.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): Mr. President, I just left a hearing involving the Veterans of Foreign Wars before the Veterans' Committee. In fact it was a joint hearing of both the House and the Senate Committees, where I am the Ranking Member, and I informed them I was coming to the floor of the United States Senate to seek unanimous consent on the Major Richard Star Act and there was spontaneous standing ovation. I dare say that, that applause was totally bipartisan, nonpolitical, because there is no more glaring and egregious injustice affecting veterans today, our nation's patriots, than the fact that 50,000 veterans are forced to medically retire and service members undergoing medical separation because of combat-related injuries being unable to collect both retirement benefits and disability compensation.

Right now, the men and women who are in harm's way in the Middle East may be injured, we hope not, but there may be casualties. We know that some have already been injured. If they retire as a result of those combat injuries, with less than 20 years of service, the majority of them have less than 20 years of service, they will be reduced in their retirement pay dollar for dollar from their VA disability benefits.

Let me just repeat. Right now, combat-injured veterans are getting a dollar-for-dollar reduction of their military retirement pay from their VA disability benefits. So, if they have to retire because they've been injured in combat, they sacrifice dollar for dollar their retirement pay because of the disability benefits that they receive. They're entitled to both, they've earned both. The nation promised them both. They deserve both. The Major Richards Star Act will finally provide some justice to those veterans. It will finally provide these military retirees with their full disability and department of defense retirement benefits righting this longstanding injustice. It's sponsored by 77 of my colleagues in the Senate, including both Republicans and Democrats. It has similar support in the House of Representatives. We have never been provided with a vote, yes, a vote, if it did receive a vote, it would pass overwhelmingly. The simple request for a vote has been denied, there are a variety of excuses that have been offered, like it cost too much.

Well, as the National Commander of the VFW said today, in supporting this bill, the costs of providing for our veterans are part of the cost of war. We are in a war right now, real-time. And some of those combat-injured veterans will be sacrificing their disability or retirement pay because of this injustice. And then some have characterized the Major Richards Star Act as providing for double-dipping. Well, our veterans forced to retire because of combat injury have earned both. We can afford to right this injustice.

Whatever the estimate on the amount of funding required, and it has varied over the years, it is a pittance compared to the cost of our national defense. Close to a trillion dollars now. This country can afford to do the right thing by these combat-injured veterans, and we have a moral imperative to do so. Veterans who have served more than 20 years already receive both the VA and the DOD payment in whole. Veterans who serve less than 20 years, because they are combat injured, frankly, for any reason, deserve better.

This week and last, thousands of veterans have flown into our nation's capital from every corner of the country to advocate for their top priorities and collectively, they are calling on congress, all of them, all of the veteran service organizations, all of the groups that represent our nation's heroes, have told us unequivocally and repeatedly that correcting this injustice is absolutely necessary. The benefits they've earned are the benefits they should be receiving right now, and it will make a huge difference in the lives of all these veterans.

Take, for example, Staff Sergeant Clayton Smith. He was involuntarily medically retired after 11 years in the United States Army because of his combat-related injury. He feels that veterans impacted by this offset have upheld their commitment to serve, but the system fails to recognize its commitment to him. Promises made, promises kept, but in this case, not kept. In his words, quote, passing the Richard Star Act would not only restore financial fairness, but it would restore confidence among combat-injured veterans that their sacrifice is recognized equally, end quote.

It would also help veterans like Dan Nevens from Florida. His military career was ended when an improvised explosive device detonated beneath his vehicle during his deployment to Iraq in 2004. He's a bilateral amputee. He's overcome years of recurring infection and countless surgeries. Says he has no regrets about his service. He joined to serve his country. He believes it's worth fighting for. These veterans deserve elected officials who will fight for them and deliver the benefits they've earned. In the words of Barry Jesinoski, the DAV's national CEO, quote, respect without action is meaningless. A message to my colleagues, respect without action is meaningless. Rhetoric without action is meaningless. Words without action are worthless. So, let's put the politics aside and listen to our veterans. Let's pass the Richard Star Act today. Mr. President, notwithstanding rule 22, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be discharged, and that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1032, the Major Richard Star Act, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.