No vote on concurrent receipt

VFW Magazine, Dec, 2002 by Tim Dyhouse

Congress adjourned for its election break on Oct. 16 without voting on the 2003 Defense Authorization Bill. The legislation contains a provision allowing disabled military retirees to receive their entire retiree pay and disability compensation, also known as concurrent receipt.

"The intent is to take the bill up when Congress returns after Veterans Day," said Peter Dickinson, spokesman for Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), in an Army Times report.

Under the current 111-year-old law, which was enacted to deal with pensions arising from Mexican and Civil War duty, a military retiree's pay is offset dollar-for-dollar in the amount he receives in disability compensation. Congress actually approved concurrent receipt last year with passage of the 2002 Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 107-107), but it was a hollow victory for vets because no money was appropriated to pay for it.

The Administration was not in favor of concurrent receipt then, and President Bush has vowed to veto the bill if it lands on his desk with the provision this year. The issue became a hot-button topic as Election Day neared.

"We'll override the veto," said Sen. Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) during debate on Oct. 7. "Let everyone here in the Senate decide who they want to support: the President's people or the veterans of their states."

The House and Senate have differing versions for concurrent receipt. The Senate plan would grant it to all eligible retirees, which would cost an estimated $58 billion over 10 years. The House version would grant concurrent receipt only to retirees rated 60% or more disabled by VA. Cost for this is estimated at $18.5 billion over 10 years.

VFW fully supports concurrent receipt, evidenced by delegate approval of Res. 602 at the 103rd National Convention. It urges both Congress and the Administration to "budget and subsequently appropriate the necessary funds." Of the two congressional plans, VFW prefers the Senate version.