I have the highest respect for the men and women who have served our nation in uniform, and I have worked in Congress to improve the quality of benefits and services provided for them and their families. My father fought in Korea and I was raised from an early age to have tremendous respect for the unselfish service of the men and women of the Armed Services. Ensuring that the sacrifices of Arkansans who fought to defend our freedoms is appropriately recognized in the policies set in Washington is among my highest priorities.
During my tenure in the Senate, many of the critical proposals I have continually supported to improve veterans benefits have been signed into law, including the following:
- A repeal of the 10-year phase-in of full concurrent receipt for military retirees who are 100 percent disabled, which allowed 30,000 veterans to receive full restoration of retired pay by January of 2005.
- A provision that will help restore benefits and cover more survivors of military retirees by phasing out a reduction in their Survivor Benefit Plan annuity.
- Expansion of access to home loans, health care, and educational benefits to veterans and their families.
- Much-needed health care coverage for members of our National Guard and Reserve.
While I am grateful for the progress we have made in addressing the needs of veterans in Arkansas and the nation in recent years, there is still much more to be done. As a member of the United States Senate, I remain focused on ensuring our nation keeps its commitment to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much on behalf of our nation.
Concurrent Receipt
Under legislation adopted by Congress more than a century ago, the pension of a disabled soldier is reduced by the amount of that soldier’s disability payment. Last year, Congress agreed to a ten-year phase in of concurrent receipt to all veterans who are 50% to 100% disabled as well as any veteran who sustained combat-related injuries and purple heart recipients regardless of their degree of disability. This was an improvement over the previous law but I believe it is still antiquated and must be updated to reflect the new realities of today’s professional military.
Throughout my public service, I have consistently supported legislation to allow disabled veterans to receive military retirement and pension benefits concurrently. Although we have taken steps in the right direction, I recognize that approximately 400,000 veterans with disabilities rated at less than 50% are not covered under current law. These men and women should not have to worry about their pensions being cut simply because they receive a disability payment as the result of their service to this nation.
Senator Lincoln is an original co-sponsor of S.558 (The Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2005), which would provide full concurrent receipt to military retirees with 20 or more years of experience, and allow veterans forced into retirement under the Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) to apply for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC).
Senator Lincoln sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on 1/25/05, urging the Department of Defense to provide concurrent receipt to veterans who are 100% disabled due to their individual unemployability.
Funding
I have worked hard to increase funding for our veterans and have consistently supported legislation to make a portion of VA funding "mandatory," or automatic – the same way that other major health programs, like Medicare, are funded. I have also repeatedly called on President Bush to give a higher priority to the needs of our veterans in his budget request to Congress.
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.331 (The Assured Funding For Veterans Health Care Act of 2005), which would ensure funding for veterans’ health care is fully funded each year by making a portion of the funding mandatory.
Senator Lincoln was a co-sponsor of S.AMDT.155 to S.CON.RES.18 (The 2005 Budget Resolution), which would have increased funding for veterans’ medical care by $2.8 billion in 2006. The amendment was defeated 47-53, on 3/15/05.
Senator Lincoln was a co-sponsor of S.AMDT.344 to H.R.1268 (The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act), which would have provided $1.975 billion for veterans’ medical care. The amendment failed on 4/12/05.
Senator Lincoln was a co-sponsor of S.AMDT.1052 to H.R.2361 (Interior Department Appropriations), which provided $1.42 billion in emergency appropriations for the Veterans Health Administration for FY2005. The amendment was agreed to, 98-0, on 6/29/05.
Senator Lincoln was a co-sponsor of S.AMDT.1071 to H.R.2361 (Interior Department Appropriations), which provided $1.5 billion in emergency appropriations for the Veterans Health Administration for FY2005. The amendment was agreed to, 96-0, on 6/29/05.
Senator Lincoln sent a letter to President Bush on 1/14/05, urging him to give proper attention to veterans in his FY2006 budget proposal.
Senator Lincoln sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee on 2/16/05, opposing the President’s proposed enrollment fees and co-payments for our nation’s veterans.
Senator Lincoln sent a letter to President Bush on 7/27/05, urging him to lay out his plan for addressing the funding shortfall for veterans health care.
Senator Lincoln sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee on 5/9/05, requesting increased funding for the VA’s Medical and Prosthetic Research Program.
Health Care
Each year, the VA is able to provide quality health care to millions of veterans through its hundreds of hospitals and clinics across the nation. These facilities provide vital medical, surgical, and rehabilitative services which are utilized annually by approximately 75 percent of all eligible veterans. I fully support the VA’s mission to provide quality health care for America’s veterans and I am proud of the services our state’s current VA facilities provide. Medical advances and modern health care trends have dramatically changed the methods for providing high quality health care and I will make it a priority to ensure the VA is well positioned to meet veterans’ health care needs today and in the future.
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.13 (The Fulfilling Our Duty to America’s Veterans Act of 2005) which would guarantee full funding for VA health care and provide full concurrent receipt for all of our nation’s veterans. It would also enhance mental health care services by providing post-traumatic stress disorder treatment for veterans and improving outreach to at-risk veterans. Additionally, it would ease the transition from military service to civilian life by requiring pre-separation medical examinations and disability benefits counseling, and removing information-sharing barriers. Furthermore, it would make prescription drugs more readily available by authorizing VA pharmacies to dispense medications to Medicare-eligible veterans on prescriptions written by private practitioners, and would improve access to educational benefits for more veterans by creating a new enrollment window for Veterans Education Assistance Program participants.
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.484, which would allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) and TRICARE supplemental premiums on a pretax basis. It also permits a tax deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums or enrollment fees.
Senator Lincoln was a co-sponsor of S.806, which provided for an insurance policy for traumatic injury protection for U.S. servicemembers so that those suffering a traumatic injury shall automatically be issued a traumatic injury protection rider (attached to their existing Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Program) that will provide for a payment up to $100,000. This legislation was signed into law on 5/11/05, as an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.963 (The Veterans' Health Care and Equitable Access Act of 2005), which includes provisions for mandatory funding for veterans' health care starting in FY 2007. It would also establish a pilot program to improve access to medical services for highly rural or geographically remote veterans and provide that veterans are reimbursed for their travel expenses related to VA medical care at the same rate paid to federal employees. Additionally, it creates a Medicare-subvention program which would allow Medicare to reimburse the VA for care provided to Medicare-eligible veterans. It also allows the surviving spouse of an active duty or reserve soldier to continue to use federal childcare facilities for up to 24 months after the servicemember's death.
National Guard and Reserve
As our Nation has increasingly looked to its citizen soldiers for defense and peace-keeping needs, the State of Arkansas has sent thousands of our Guardsmen and Reservists to serve in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. In this time of increased dependence upon members of our Guard and Reserve, I believe it is imperative that we provide for their needs and recognize their sacrifice. That is why I have worked hard to provide them and their families with the benefits they rightfully deserve and why I have consistently supported legislation to improve benefits for members of the Guard and Reserve and their families.
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.337 (The Guard and Reserve Readiness and Retention Act of 2005), which would allow Guardsmen, Reservists, and their families to enroll in TRICARE full-time for a monthly premium, regardless of their activation status. It would provide that for every two years of service over twenty, a Guardsmen or Reservist would receive retirement benefits one year earlier.
Senator Lincoln is an original co-sponsor of S.639, which would lower the retirement age for Guardsmen and Reservists from 60 to 55, if they have 20 years of service or more.
Outreach
While we continue working to provide much-needed services and benefits for our veterans, we must also ensure that they are aware of the benefits for which they are eligible. I commend the outreach efforts of the VA in providing outreach counselors, establishing veterans centers, and building local outreach partnerships across the country, but I feel there is still more we can do.
Senator Lincoln is an original co-sponsor of S.1342 (The Veterans Outreach Improvement Act), which ensures that the VA can enter into cooperative agreements with State Departments of Veterans Affairs regarding outreach activities. It also gives the VA grant-making authority to award funds to State veterans agencies to achieve outreach purposes.
Survivor Benefits
Until recently, Federal law provided that a veteran’s surviving spouse’s benefits must be reduced by a Social Security offset or a reduction in payments simply because they have reached the age of 62. This was in contrast to the survivors of Federal civilian retirees who receive 55% of their spouse’s retired pay for life with no drop in benefits. This was an inconsistency that needed to be addressed and I worked hard to ensure an amendment was included in last year’s defense spending bill that helped restore these benefits and cover more survivors of military retirees by phasing out the reduction in their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity. This provision, which became law on October 28, 2004, phases out this reduction over the next 3-1/2 years, with the restoration of full benefits starting in March of 2008.
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.185 (The Military Retiree Survivor Benefit Equity Act of 2005), which would provide concurrent receipt of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and SBP annuity payments for spouses and children of service members killed in action. It would also allow 70-year-old military retirees who have paid SBP premiums for at least 30 years to stop paying premiums and retain their coverage, and would advance the full restoration of SBP annuity benefits for those age 62 or older.
Other Veterans' Legislation
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.58, which would permit any veteran who has been deemed 100% disabled to travel on military aircraft to the same extent as other retired members of the Armed Forces.
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.392, which would authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of Congress to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.633 (The American Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin Act of 2005), which requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of veterans who became disabled for life while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. Revenues from the surcharge on the coin would go to the Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation to cover the costs of building the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, DC.
Senator Lincoln is a co-sponsor of S.RES.155, which designates the week that includes Veterans Day (November 6-12, 2005) as National Veterans Awareness Week.