• MILITARY and VETERANS Affairs


    As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a strong advocate for our nation's military retirees and veterans, I am continually working to ensure that our military is prepared to meet the challenges and demands of the 21st century. The threat of terrorism is an ever present reality. It is increasingly important that we provide our military with the resources and training to protect our nation during periods of conflict. In order to preserve our national security for the future, we must strengthen our commitment to the armed forces by ensuring that their needs and sacrifices are recognized today.


    Supporting Our Troops at Home and Abroad

    Over one million brave men and women dedicate their lives to protecting our nation. Many call North Carolina's Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Camp LeJeune, New River Air Station, Cherry Point, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and several Coast Guard stations home. That is why I am pleased that President's fiscal year 2008 budget includes more than $428 million for North Carolina bases. In addition, the request includes $481.4 billion for the Department of Defense to ensure military readiness to meet future threats, defend the homeland and support our men and woman in uniform. $93.4 billion has been designated for the Global War on Terror , and $141.7 billion has been allotted in supplemental funds to accelerate efforts to train and equip Iraqi and Afghan Security forces. It also provides a 3 percent increase in basic military and civilian pay.

    Nearly 21,076 North Carolinians are enrolled in the National Guard and Army Reserves. Almost 5 percent of the that force is currently serving overseas in Iraq. Education benefits for these men and women have dropped from 47 percent of the active duty Montgomery GI Bill benefits to 29 percent. For this reason, I am co-sponsor of the Resuming Education After Defense Service Act, which would provide entitlement to education assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill for members of the Selected Reserve who aggregate more than 2 years of active duty service in any five year period. I will continue to work for efforts that protect the interests of our Reservists while they work to protect our country.


    Serving Our Veterans
    We must also honor those individuals who have served in the past, helped shaped this country into what it is today, and sacrificed so much to safeguard our fundamental right to freedom. It is essential that we uphold our commitments to our veterans and ensure that they receive quality benefits and services. That is why I have sponsored the Veterans Outreach Improvement Act, which enhances the outreach activities within the Department of Veterans Affairs. I continue to support the Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act, a measure that would take an additional step toward restoring adequate health care to military retirees by allowing them to participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) once they turn 65. For retirees who entered the service prior to 1956, FEHBP would provide fully-paid coverage.
    I have also continued to support the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act, legislation which would provide for a guaranteed level of funding for veterans' health care. Unfortunately, the money that is set aside for VA hospitals and clinics falls under discretionary spending, meaning that there is no guarantee that it will be increased as the demand grows. I completely disagree with how this money is currently handled and will continue to push for guaranteed levels of funding for veterans' health care.
    In particular, I plan to work hard to secure funding to keep the proposed veterans' outpatient clinic on schedule for completion in New Hanover County by 2010 as well as the veterans' medical clinic planned for completion in Brunswick County by 2012.
    On November 24, 2003, the President signed into law the Fiscal Year 2004 National Defense Authorization Act. This measure allows veterans with a combat-related disability and military retirees with a disability of at least 50 percent to receive both their retirement and disability benefits at the same time. While this measure is helpful for some individuals, it is simply not enough. As a result, I have also continued to work enact concurrent receipt legislation. That is why I am a cosponsor of the Retired Pay Restoration Act. This bill would provide full retirement pay and disability to all disabled military retirees. In June 2003, I joined several of my colleagues in signing a discharge petition effort to force the U.S. House of Representatives' leadership to consider the bill. Unfortunately, this effort fell short of the necessary 218 signatures and the bill was not brought before the U.S. House for a vote. As a cosponsor of this important legislation, I assure you that I will continue to push forward on this issue during the110th Congress to ensure that our military retirees' voices are heard.


    Assisting Our Military Families
    Throughout my time in the U.S. House of Representatives, I have cosponsored legislation that would repeal the current offset between Survivor's Benefit Plan (SBP) payments and Disability and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments. SBP, which was established to provide income protection to the survivors of military retirees, was later expanded to include the survivors of service members who die while on active duty. Retired service members who participate in SBP agree to accept reduced retirement compensation in exchange for the continued payment of benefits to their survivors in future years. Survivors of military retirees and those killed on active duty receive 55 percent of the service members' retired pay until the survivor reaches age 62, normally the age the survivor becomes eligible for Social Security. At age 62, survivor benefits are reduced to 35 percent of the retiree's annuity.

    Unfortunately, some of the affected survivors are not eligible for Social Security. Others receive Social Security benefits that are less than the reduction in the benefit which results in a net loss of income. The majority of those adversely impacted by this reduction are elderly widows, whose incomes are reduced during a time when most are facing increased medical care expenses and other related costs. As a result, many call this offset of the SBP benefit the "Widow's Tax." As someone who shares this belief that military widows deserve a consistent SBP, in particular one that is not filled with large reduction provisions, I will continue to support legislation that seeks to fix this problem.

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