Political Quotes

“9 months ago I stood before this body as a proud cosponsor of the Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2001. This bill, which I also cosponsored in the last Congress, seeks to redress a major inequity that has resulted in a serious slight to the dedicated men and women who have selflessly served our Nation. It is an injustice that has puzzled me for decades. Current law bans so-called ``concurrent receipt'' of VA disability compensation and military retired pay, so that the amount of any VA disability payment to a military retiree is subtracted from the monthly retirement check. The obvious flaw of this rule is clear to the vast majority of the members of this body and to most members of the House. In its original form, this legislation garnered 78 cosponsors in the Senate and a whopping 378 members in the House. It seems that this was something that should have made it through the Conference Committee process without much question. But, unfortunately, what we saw emerge from conference was a real disappointment to me, to many Members of this body, and most of all, to our brave men and women--both those who have served in the past and those who continue to serve and continue to face the risk of disability. Here was an opportunity--a real chance to address a serious inequity and we let it fall by the way side. What message are we sending to our Armed Services?”