[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 75 (Friday, May 24, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               FAIRNESS FOR DISABLED VETERANS ACT OF 1996

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                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 1996

  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to talk about a very 
important issue that affects veterans in my district in Florida and 
veterans around the country. Right now, a veteran who has bravely 
served our Nation cannot collect VA disability payments while 
collecting payments for early separation from the armed services. 
Although a person may be eligible for both, under current law, a 
disabled veteran can't receive both. To me, that just doesn't make 
sense.
  As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I am proud to 
introduce the Fairness for Disabled Veterans Act of 1996 to correct 
this injustice in current law.
  The language of the bill is simple. The bill repeals the requirement 
that amounts paid to a member of the Armed Forces under special 
separation programs shall be offset from amounts subsequently paid to 
that member by the Department of Veterans Affairs as disability 
compensation. The repeal would be retroactive to the date this rule 
went into effect on December 5, 1991.
  Here's how this works in practice. If an individual received an SSB 
payment of $30,000, he would not receive the first $30,000 of VA 
disability compensation to which he would otherwise have been entitled. 
This legislation would allow eligible individuals to receive the full 
amount of disability payments regardless of prior SSB or VSI payments.
  In the early 1990's, Congress established early military separation 
benefits to help the Defense Department reduce the size of the Armed 
Forces. The Department of Defense [DOD] currently offers certain 
military personnel the opportunity to leave military service 
voluntarily in return for cash payments under two programs, the Special 
Separation Benefit [SSB] and the Voluntary Separation Incentive [VSI]. 
The SSB program offers a one-time cash payment, while the VSI program 
provides an annual payment over many years, depending on length of 
service. Servicemembers who leave service under these programs have the 
option of choosing either program.
  When this law was passed, Congress also included restrictions on 
these programs preventing military personnel who receive early 
separation benefits from receiving disability compensation from the 
Department of Veterans Affairs until the separation benefits are 
repaid.
  Today, thousands of the veterans who accepted the payment and left 
the military are suffering from service-connected disabilities such as 
gulf war syndrome and other health problems. These disabled veterans 
are unable to work and their families are faced with financial 
hardship.
  SSB and VSI benefits are for services rendered as well as 
compensation for the veteran's participation in DOD's downsizing. 
Disability pay is compensation for mental or physical disabilities 
incurred in that service. These are two separate compensations. That's 
why I believe it is unfair to offset one payment with another. If the 
Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a 
benefit to a retiring member of the Armed Forces, that person deserves 
to receive that benefit.
  That's why I've introduced this bill. Let's tell our disabled 
veterans that we care about them and that we will fight for what's 
right. I urge my colleagues to support the Fairness for Disabled 
Veterans Act of 1996.

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