Politics
House Approves Major Richard Star Act to End Veterans' Retirement Pay Offset; Arizona Delegation Split
The U.S. House passed the Major Richard Star Act, which would allow thousands of combat-injured veterans to receive full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without offset. Arizona's congressional delegation divided on the measure, with five in favor, three opposed, and one not voting.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Major Richard Star Act, a bill that would eliminate a long-standing offset reducing military retirement pay for certain combat-injured veterans. The measure, H.R. 2102, cleared the chamber by a vote of 392-18, with 23 members not voting, and now heads to the Senate.
The legislation would allow veterans who were medically retired due to combat-related disabilities before completing 20 years of service to collect both their full military retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation without a dollar-for-dollar reduction. Under current law, those veterans generally see their retirement pay reduced by the amount of VA disability compensation they receive. Military retirees who serve at least 20 years can already receive both benefits in full.
Supporters estimate the change would affect roughly 59,000 veterans. The bill is named for Army Maj. Richard Star, a combat engineer who advocated for the change after being diagnosed with terminal cancer linked to burn pit exposure. Star died in February 2021 at age 51, before Congress passed the legislation.
Arizona's nine-member congressional delegation was divided on the final vote. Five representatives voted in favor: Democrats Yassamin Ansari, Adelita Grijalva, and Greg Stanton, along with Republicans Juan Ciscomani and Abraham Hamadeh. Three Republicans voted against: Andy Biggs, Eli Crane, and David Schweikert. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., did not vote, according to the Clerk of the House.
The Senate companion measure, S. 1032, was introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and has been referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego have supported the effort. The Senate must approve the legislation before it can be sent to the president.
The House vote follows years of advocacy by veterans and military service organizations seeking to eliminate the offset. Supporters argue that veterans forced to leave the military because of combat-related injuries should not lose retirement benefits they earned while also receiving disability compensation for those injuries.