On Correcting Injustices for veterans

I support Congressman Pappas in pushing for a vote on the Major Richard Star Act.

NH-01’s current congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), is a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and was the third House member to sign a discharge petition to force a vote on the Major Richard Star Act. This bipartisan legislation ending the disparity that keeps medically retired veterans from receiving their full Department of Defense retirement pay or their full VA disability pay, when they've earned both.

You can read Congressman Pappas’ full update here.

NH-01 is home to more than 80,000 veterans. These are Granite Staters who served until injury forced them to stop. Many were disabled in combat, and some will live with these injuries for the rest of their lives. They earned two separate things: retirement pay for their years of service, and disability compensation for what that service cost them. One should not cancel out another.

The bill has 330 bipartisan cosponsors in the House, with Pappas being one of them since he was elected, but it still hasn’t gotten a floor vote. The discharge petition, filed by Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano and Congressman Raul Ruiz, is the tool that can change that: if a majority of the House signs on, the bill moves to a vote whether leadership wants it or not.

This bill is backed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, Wounded Warrior Project, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and many other Veterans Service Organizations. I’ve said throughout this campaign, Leaders Listen. When the organizations that represent our veterans speak clearly, they need to be heard.

Congressman Pappas is running for Senate rather than seeking reelection to NH-01, but I will carry this fight forward. In Congress, I will proudly fight to continue these efforts and vote yes on the Major Richard Star Act on behalf of NH-01. Veterans earned every dollar this bill would restore, and I am committed to making sure they receive it.