Senator’s legislation provides full retirement benefits for military retirees who also have a service-related disability
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema introduced the Retired Pay Restoration Act, which would end the unfair offset of retirement pay and disability benefits for more than 450,000 military retirees.
“Veterans who’ve sacrificed for our country should receive the full benefits they’ve earned,” said Sinema, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. “Our plan rights a wrong that has unfairly kept Arizona veterans from getting their full pensions and benefits.”
Current law restricts many military retirees’ full benefits if those individuals also draw VA disability compensation. Sinema’s Retired Pay Restoration Act would end the dollar-for-dollar offset of military retirement pay based on the amount of VA disability compensation a military retiree receives.
Sinema strongly supported the Retired Pay Restoration Act in the House of Representatives. Sinema also led the charge to reform the VA as an original cosponsor of the VA Accountability Act and by supporting the VA Choice Act, both of which were signed into law. Additionally, Sinema worked with the family of Sgt. Daniel Somers, a veteran who lost his life to suicide, to introduce and successfully enact the Sgt. Daniel Somers Classified Veterans Access to Care Act which ensures veterans who serve in a classified capacity can get private counseling from the VA.