Harry Reid: “I would like to proceed in morning business to talk about some legislation that I sponsored. It is called the Retired…”

“I would like to proceed in morning business to talk about some legislation that I sponsored. It is called the Retired Pay Restoration Act or 2001. I introduced this bill last Congress. Out of the 100 percent of the things we needed to do on behalf of veterans, we maybe did 1 or 2 percent. There is still 98 percent to do. This legislation addresses a 110-year injustice against over 560,000 of our Nation's veterans. We now have 64 cosponsors to S. 170. It clearly illustrates bipartisan support for this legislation. My disappointment, though, is that this legislation passed was part of the budget. It was stripped out of the so-called 'conference' that took place on this bill. That is unfair. Every day in America--today, tomorrow, and the next day--1,000 World War II veterans die. This legislation is meant to help them. What does this legislation do? We in Congress have repeatedly forced the bravest men and women in our Nation--retired career veterans--to forego receipt of a portion of their retired pay if they happen to also receive disability pay from an injury that occurred in the line of duty. If you are an old veteran and you have a service-connected disability and you retired from the military, you cannot draw your disability pension. Is that fair? No, it is not fair. S. 170 will permit retired members of the Armed Services who also have a service-connected disability to receive military retirement pay and also the disability compensation.”