Image still from Senate floor

Senator Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, is urging Congress to pass the Major Richard Starr Act, legislation aimed at restoring full benefits to combat-injured veterans.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Sen. Moran said the bill would allow medically retired veterans with combat-related injuries to receive both their full military retirement pay and their full VA disability compensation. Under current law, one payment is offset by the other, reducing the total benefits some veterans receive.

“No veteran in my mind should have their retirement that they earned decreased because they also were eligible for disability compensation due to an injury that they sustained during their military service,” said Sen. Moran. “The Richard Star Act, as I indicated, is not within the jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. I want to make clear that I will continue to work with my colleagues in a by-committee, a bi-camera, a bipartisan way to make certain we find a path forward for the passage of this legislation.”

Sen. Moran noted that the legislation has strong backing from veterans groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which recently highlighted the bill as a top priority during a joint hearing with the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Although the bill falls under the jurisdiction of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he said he is working in a bipartisan, bicameral way to move the measure forward. An original co-sponsor, Sen. Moran said Congress has a responsibility to ensure combat-wounded veterans receive the benefits they have earned.