Veterans Update from U.S. Congressman John F. Tierney

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Since 10-19-04

From: Waspscpo@aol.com 

Sent: Oct 15, 2004 4:38 AM
Subject: Veterans Update from U.S. Congressman John F. Tierney  

This Congressman,  coming from Massachusetts, works very hard for our veterans and military retirees.

Don H

 Subj: Veterans Update from U.S. Congressman John F. Tierney  
Date: 10/14/2004 6:56:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: imama06@mail.house.gov
To: waspscpo@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Veterans Update from U.S. Congressman John F. Tierney (D-Salem, MA)


As we near the end of the 108th Congress, I would like to share the results of work performed with my Democratic colleagues in partnership with veterans around Massachusetts and across the country to press the Administration and the Majority party in Congress to secure health care, disability pay, tax relief and VA services to those whose selfless sacrifice has helped keep America strong and free.  

Accomplishments thus far this year:

Prior to the Republican Majority suspending House Floor proceedings until after the elections, Congress passed H.R. 4200 authorizing appropriations for the Department of Defense.  HR 4200 allows for long overdue retirement benefits for our servicemen and women, including bipartisan provisions to end the Widows' Tax, and provisions to immediately end the disabled veterans tax for the most severely disabled veterans. 

Ending Survivor Benefit Penalty. 

Over 1,000,000 military retirees pay premiums for years, anticipating that upon their death, their spouse will receive 55 percent of their retirement benefit. But when their spouse reaches 62, the benefit drops to 35 percent - forcing these aging survivors, to give up more than one-third of their retirement benefit. This year, I joined 339 other Members of Congress in co-sponsoring H.R.548 to phase out this Survivor Benefits Penalty, known as the "Widows' Tax", and 201 Members in signing a discharge petition to impel House consideration of this legislation.  However, despite overwhelming bipartisan support for this legislation, the Majority Leadership refused for months to allow an up or down vote.  Finally, unyielding pressure from Democrats and veterans' advocates persuaded the House GOP Leadership to include provisions in the final FY05 Defense Authorization bill phasing in the necessary correction to increase survivors' benefits to the full 55 percent by March of 2008.  All retired or former members of the uniformed services and their family members who are entitled to retired pay will now have one year to enroll in the survivor benefit plan, beginning October 1, 2005.

Hastening End to Disabled Veterans' Tax for 100 Percent Disabled. 

The disabled veterans' tax forced retirees to give up one dollar of their pension for every dollar of disability pay they receive, prohibiting what is know as concurrent receipt.  Last year, Congress voted to eliminate this unfair tax over the next ten years.  However, until then, two-thirds of military retirees with service-connected disabilities would have had to continue to pay the Disabled Veterans' Tax. I am pleased that this year's Defense Authorization bill included a provision to eliminate the tax for the 100 percent disabled for all 560,000 disabled military retirees effective January 2005, including 4,300 veterans subjected to this disabled veterans' tax in the Commonwealth, and nearly 400 veterans in the 6th District. 


Keeping the Bedford VA Hospital Open:

The families of patients, doctors, nurses and other stakeholders worked tirelessly alongside me and other members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation to ensure that Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony J. Principi was aware of the invaluable work done at Bedford's Edith Nurse Veterans Hospital for Alzheimer's treatment and research.  The 62,000 veterans in the Sixth Congressional District won a major victory on May 7, 2004 when Secretary Principi confirmed the decision of the Capitol Realignment and Assessment Commission (CARES) to keep both inpatient and outpatient services at the Bedford facility.  As the VA moves forward with a feasibility study that looks towards building one centralized facility in the Boston metro region, these stakeholders will continue to work together to ensure that veterans in the Sixth District and across Massachusetts receive the best possible care. 

Upcoming Issues:   

Unfortunately, while I and other members voted to stay in session to complete our legislative work, on October 9, 2004, the Majority of the House voted to delay all substantive policy and budget debates until a lame-duck session after the election and refused to allow for votes on critically needed and long-awaited veterans' legislation prior to adjournment.  We must now wait until a lame-duck session of Congress in mid-November to take actions on important legislation for veterans and their families, including legal and financial protections, reemployment rights, benefits for disabled veterans and their survivors and improved health care services. 

House Majority leadership refused to bring up for consideration H.R. 1716, which would improve on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs under the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), increase the VA home-loan guarantee, and many other benefits for disabled veterans, as well as S. 2486, which improves education, medical, employment programs, and other veterans' benefits. 

In addition to failing to enact this legislation, the House has yet to approve the annual appropriations bill to fund veterans' health care, which is already severely under-funded.  When Congress reconvenes in November, I will continue to work with my colleagues to push for increased funding for the Veterans Administration, including an additional $1.3 billion to fully fund the VA health programs.

Congress is also engaged in preliminary assessments of the Fiscal Year 2006 (FY 2006) federal budget, which must reflect our national values -- including our pledge to service members who pledge to leave no soldier behind on the battlefield that we will leave no veteran behind here at home.


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Please visit http://www.house.gov/tierney/IMA/email.shtml should you wish to respond to this email.  Do not reply directly to this email address -- this is an unattended mailbox.

Please feel free to go to my web site (http://www.house.gov/tierney) to learn more about my legislative initiatives.


Sincerely,

John F. Tierney
Member of Congress

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Please visit http://www.house.gov/tierney/IMA/email.shtml should you wish to respond to this email.  Do not reply directly to this email address -- this is an unattended mailbox.

Please feel free to go to my web site (http://www.house.gov/tierney) to learn more about my legislative initiatives.
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