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Right now, disabled veterans are not receiving the full retirement compensation that they deserve for their service and sacrifice. The Major Richard Star Act would change that.
Send a letter to your members of Congress urging them to pass the Major Richard Star Act!
As a union with many members who have served in the U.S. military, IAM Union supports this bill which has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
The bill not only has the support of IAM Union, but also support from reputable veterans organizations across the county including Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and many others.
The Major Richard Star Act would allow specifically qualified veterans to concurrently receive their full retirement pay and disability benefits. Right now, the retirement pay for combat-injured, medically retired veterans is reduced by the dollar-for-dollar amount they receive in service-connected disability compensation. Some call this the “Wounded Veteran Tax.”
“On behalf of the 600,000 active and retired members of IAM Union, I want to thank the bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives for supporting this very important piece of legislation that is intended to improve the lives of those who have sacrificed so much for this country,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “The IAM is a diverse labor union with a very significant number of veterans in our membership. We will always fight for the rights of our veterans. The House and the Senate must pass the Major Richard Star Act to end the unjust offset that penalizes combat-injured veterans by denying them the full benefits they have earned.”
Help us help our veterans. Send your letter of support for the Major Richard Star Act now.
This bipartisan bill would end the unjust offset that prevents combat-injured, medically retired veterans from receiving both military retirement pay and VA disability compensation. For more information on this piece of legislation, please see the following sources:
Potential Changes to Veterans’ Benefits Under the Major Richard Star Act: Veterans’ Issues in Focus
119th Congress Veteran Bill Tracker
Major Richard Star Act Fact Sheet
