Our veterans fought for us, and their Congressional representatives should fight for them. Too many of our politicians pay lip service to the interests and desires of veterans, while being unwilling to take the practical measures necessary to achieve real improvements in their status. These politicians offer “warm and fuzzy” assurances of support, even cosponsoring bills that would afford benefits to veterans. At the same time, however, they refuse to take the additional measures necessary to make these proposals a reality.
Jan Schneider opposes such hypocrisy. Jan favors ending the disability offset to military retirement pay. At the time of this writing, the House of Representatives concurrent receipt bill (H.R. 303) has 297 cosponsors; yet it remains bottled up in committee for lack of the 218 signatures required for a discharge petition to force a floor vote. The fact that the House voted unanimously to approve legislation that would have eliminated the offset last fall renders this situation all the more hypocritical. In such circumstances, Jan would sign a discharge petition – and would do so regardless of which party constituted the majority controlling the House. She would also sponsor and support budgetary appropriations necessary to fulfill commitments to our veterans, disabled and others.
Jan is likewise committed to eliminating other forms of discrimination against survivors and disabled retirees. It is unfair to reduce military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities at age 62 even if the spouse starts drawing Social Security based on his or her own work history. Also, military retirees under TriCare should be permitted to opt into the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). Retired and disabled veterans should not be required to chose between Department of Defense or Veterans Affairs healthcare, often in practical effect forcing them to elect which ailments they will seek to remedy and which to suffer. Further, on an issue becoming more and more pressing in these troubled times, otherwise qualified Guard and Reserve retirees should be eligible for the new combat related special compensation (CRSC).
More generally, Jan is convinced that Congress needs to increase funding for the Veterans Affairs Department. Under current budgetary projections, the Department will fall $6.2 billion short of what is needed to meet obligations over the next ten years.
Some of these issues have ramifications for other federal employees as well as for those who served in the military. On similar thinking to her policies with regard to veterans, Jan will work to abolish the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which greatly reduces the Social Security benefits of retired or disabled workers who also receive government annuities based on their own earnings. Similarly, she opposes the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which prevents annuitants from collecting both government annuities based on their own work and Social security benefits based on spousal work records (with two-thirds of a government annuity being offset against Social Security). Jan favors allowing federal annuitants to use pre-tax dollars to pay health premiums. Further, for the long-term stability and protection of the entitlements of federal retirees, Jan would support off-budget status for the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF).
In sum, Congressional representatives should look after the retirement interests of
federal employees other than themselves -- especially those who fought for our
country.
SUPPORT THE TRI-PARTISAN VETERANS' CHOICE OF REPRESENTATION ACT
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