Senate Efforts to Advance Major Richard Star Act Blocked

Recent efforts in the U.S. Senate to move forward with the Major Richard Star Act were blocked, preventing the legislation from receiving a floor vote.

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut sought unanimous consent to advance the legislation. The request was objected to by Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, stopping the bill from moving forward.

Following that objection, Senator Blumenthal offered a second proposal that would have allowed the Senate to hold a single roll call vote on the legislation at a 60-vote threshold. The proposal would have waived additional procedural steps and allowed Senate leadership to schedule the vote before August. That request was also blocked, leaving the legislation without a vote despite broad bipartisan support.

The Major Richard Star Act addresses a long-standing issue affecting medically retired combat-injured Service Members. Under current law, many Veterans who are forced to medically retire due to combat-related injuries and have fewer than 20 years of service experience a dollar-for-dollar reduction between their Department of Defense retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation.

The legislation would allow eligible combat-injured Veterans to receive both their full military retirement pay and their VA disability compensation.

The bill currently has significant bipartisan backing in Congress, with 77 cosponsors in the Senate and more than 300 in the House of Representatives.

Veterans Service Organizations have consistently identified the Major Richard Star Act as a top legislative priority. In recent weeks, Veterans from across the country traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers and participate in joint hearings held by the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees, where the legislation was discussed.

The legislation is named in honor of Major Richard A. Star, a decorated combat Veteran who was medically retired due to service-connected injuries. After leaving the military, Major Star worked to bring attention to the concurrent receipt issue affecting medically retired combat-injured Veterans until his passing in 2021.

The Non Commissioned Officers Association continues to support legislative efforts addressing the concurrent receipt policy affecting medically retired combat-injured Veterans.

​The legislation is named in honor of Major Richard A. Star, a decorated combat Veteran who was medically retired due to service-connected injuries. After leaving the military, Major Star worked to bring attention to the concurrent receipt issue affecting medically retired combat-injured Veterans until his passing in 2021.
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The Non Commissioned Officers Association continues to support legislative efforts addressing the concurrent receipt policy affecting medically retired combat-injured Veterans. Readers who would like additional context on the recent Senate action can review the full statement released by the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Official Statement

​Veterans, Service Members, and supporters who want to take a more active role in advocacy are encouraged to get involved with the Non Commissioned Officers Association. Volunteers play an important role in strengthening the voice of the military community through legislative engagement, local chapter participation, and outreach efforts that support Service Members, Veterans, and their families.

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