DAV statement on Major Richard Star Act

The vote to turn the Major Richard Star Act into law is long overdue. Fortunately, a “discharge petition” can finally get this done.

For years, combat-injured veterans forced into medical retirement have been denied the full benefits they earned through service and sacrifice. Under current law, veterans must offset earned retirement pay simply because their injuries ended their careers. The Major Richard Star Act would eliminate this offset.

Time and again, these veterans have been promised action. Time and again, Congress has failed to deliver, even though this legislation has overwhelming support in the House with a Republican sponsor and 330 bipartisan co-sponsors. A companion bill in the Senate also has more than 75 co-sponsors, yet congressional leadership has refused to allow a vote on either. That can change with a discharge petition.

If half the House—218 members—sign the discharge petition, a vote will finally take place in the House. With 330 members already publicly supporting this legislation, there is a clear path forward. This discharge petition is not a first step. It’s a last resort.

Congress should stop delaying and bring this bill to the floor. Veterans who sacrificed for this country should not have to fight their own government for the benefits they earned. This injustice is real and Congress has the power to fix it. The only thing missing is action. It is time our nation keeps its promise.