[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 21, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H1140]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 3573, THE KEEP OUR PROMISES TO AMERICA'S MILITARY 
                              RETIREES ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, this government offered a comprehensive 
employment contract to our military retirees. As a former member of the 
armed services, I was personally presented the package in the 1960s. I 
remember the sales pitch quite well, for the Army was very honest in 
pointing out the pros and cons of a military career.
  The negatives were, first, that you might get killed or maimed in the 
line of duty but if you survived, you would have to move your family 
from one side of the country to the other every couple of years, maybe 
even overseas, and you would be paid far less than you would in a 
similar skill civilian job in spite of having to deal with these 
hardships. The supposedly offsetting positives were that your out-of-
pocket living expenses would be far less, since major expense items 
such as health care would be covered directly by the Army, both during 
your active duty years and in retirement. Retirement was available 
after 20 years of service at half of your last paycheck.
  Therefore, we were told we could afford to work and retire for far 
less than our jobs would command in the private sector or the Federal 
civilian workforce, for that matter, because of all of these great 
benefits. We would not need a big retirement check since we would have 
fully funded health care for life.
  We could live off a lot less since we would never face big health 
care bills. I was homesick for Georgia the last time I heard that pitch 
in the Republic of Vietnam in 1969, so I passed on the deal. Air Force 
Sergeant Earl Terrell of Smyrna, Tennessee, took the government at its 
word and stayed in for over 21 years. Sergeant Terrell retired in 
Smyrna because of access to military benefits at the Smyrna Air Force 
Base. His retirement pay is $14,676 a year for both Earl and his wife. 
That is below the Federal poverty line, but that did not bother the 
couple that much since they would not have to worry about health care 
costs so they could live off the entire $14,000.
  The deal started to go sour 6 years after Sergeant Terrell settled 
down in Smyrna when the Federal Government closed down the Smyrna Air 
Force Base. Sergeant Terrell has suffered a stroke and had heart bypass 
surgery. Mrs. Terrell had heart valve surgery just in January and has 
also undergone surgeries for an ovarian cyst and back problems.
  Without access to military health care, Earl and his wife now are 
paying $5,760 a year to Blue Cross and Blue Shield. That is 39 percent 
of his retirement income. That leaves the Terrells with less than 
$9,000 a year to live on. The Federal poverty line for a family of two 
is over $16,000. Since 1995, the Terrells have paid nearly $29,000 of 
their retirement income for health care that was promised free in 
exchange for 20 years of military service.
  Mr. Speaker and fellow Members of this House, I ask you, have we 
fulfilled our side of the employment contract with Air Force Sergeant 
Earl Terrell? The answer is unequivocally no. We have a bill pending in 
the House and Senate that will meet our promises to those who have 
borne the battle, H.R. 3573.
  Sergeant and Mrs. Terrell would be given the same FEHBP plan as our 
retired Federal civilian workers, at no cost. That means they regain 
their $14,000 a year retirement pay, still below the poverty line but 
at least what they were promised.
  At last check, the majority of the Members of this House from both 
parties have cosponsored this bill, The Keep Our Promises to America's 
Military Retirees Act. Mr. Speaker, let us try to do the right thing 
and let America keep her word and her honor and pass H.R. 3573 into law 
before this Congress ends.

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