James M. Jeffords: “current law requires retired military personnel individuals in receipt of disability compensation from the Department of…”

“current law requires retired military personnel individuals in receipt of disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, to offset any retired military pay for which they become eligible. Today Senator Daschle and I are introducing legislation that would gradually eliminate this offset based on the inverse of the retiree's disability rating. This offset requirement unfairly discriminates against career soldiers who become disabled by requiring them to fund their own disability benefits. As an example, a veteran with 60-percent service-connected disability would have to offset his retirement pay by the amount equal to 60 percent of his total VA disability. This compromise legislation would establish the right of a disabled military retiree to receive at least a portion of his earned military retirement while avoiding an insurmountable cost that, under budget rules, would require an offset in other funding areas of the Department of Defense. Current law does not take into account the obvious distinction between military retirement and disability compensation entitlements. Military retirement is paid to recognize a soldier who has dedicated 20 or more of his or her years to our country's defense. Disability benefits are intended to compensate a veteran for injury for injury incurred in the lined of duty. Because these two types of compensation serve two different purposes, receipt of one should not prevent a veteran from receiving the other.”