~ Senators’ Major Richard Star Act would provide combat-injured veterans with full earned disability compensation and retirement pay ~
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rick Scott (R-FL), and 38 colleagues in introducing the Major Richard Star Act, legislation to provide combat-injured veteran retirees their full benefits.
“Veterans have made the ultimate sacrifice to serve our country and they deserve the full scope of benefits they have rightfully earned,” said Senator Hirono. “Yet, flaws in our veterans’ disability system prevent thousands of combat-wounded veteran retirees from accessing their full military benefits. This critical legislation will address this injustice, helping to keep our promise of delivering full benefits to veterans who have already sacrificed so much for our country.”
Currently, only veterans with disability ratings above 50 percent and more than 20 years of service are eligible to receive the full amount of their Department of Defense (DOD) retirement and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability payments—leaving behind more than 50,000 combat-injured military retirees. The Major Richard Star Act will fix this unjust policy for retired combat veterans—providing them their full VA disability and DOD retirement payments.
This bipartisan legislation 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 sadly lost his battle with cancer on February 13, 2021.
In addition to Senators Hirono, Blumenthal, Crapo, Warren, and Scott, the legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Kennedy (R-LA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), James Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
The House companion version of this bill was introduced by Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA), with 185 bipartisan cosponsors.
The Senators’ bipartisan effort to provide combat-injured veterans their due benefits is supported by the Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA), Air & Space Forces Association (AFA), American GI Forum, The American Legion, American Military Society, American Veterans (AMVETS), Armed Forces Retiree Association, Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA), Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS), Association of the United States Army (AUSA), Association of the United States Navy (AUSN), Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), Burn Pits 360, Chief Warrant Officers Association of the US Coast Guard (CWOA), Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service, Inc. (COA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, Fleet Reserve Association (FRA), Heroes Athletic Association, Gold Star Wives of America (GSW), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America (JWV), K9s for Warriors, Marine Corps League (MCL), Marine Corps Reserve Association (MCRA), Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America (MCA), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), Mission Roll Call, National Defense Committee, National Military Family Association (NMFA), Naval Enlisted Reserve Association (NERA), Non-Commissioned Officers Association (NCOA), Operation First Response, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Quality of Life Foundation, Reserve Organization of America (ROA), Stronghold Freedom Foundation, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA), The Independence Fund (TIF), United States Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA), USCG Chief Petty Officers Association (CPOA), VetsFirst/United Spinal Association, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Wounded Paw Project, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP).
The full text of the legislation is available here.
As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Senator Hirono has consistently worked to support veterans in Hawaii and across the country. Earlier this month, Senator Hirono introduced the Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act to make certain the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) assists the family caregivers of veterans as they transition into the workforce or retirement after their caregiving responsibilities have ended. Senator Hirono introduced the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act, bipartisan and bicameral legislation to make it easier for veterans with disabilities to be made financially whole in the event they are defrauded of their benefits. The legislation allows the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) to reimburse victims of fraud without first meeting unnecessary bureaucratic requirements. This month, Senator Hirono also introduced legislation to enhance the efficiency and quality of health care services provided to American veterans. The Veterans Health Administration Policy Advisory Commission (VetPAC) Act will facilitate a transparent, expert-driven review process for the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) operations.
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