Vets fight White House over military pension boost

Veterans groups are sparring with Bush administration officials over a legislative proposal to boost pension benefits for disabled military retirees.

Veterans groups want Congress to revoke a century-old law that bars military retirees from receiving their full pensions and full disability benefits at the same time, saying the law is unfair. The Bush administration contends that revoking the law would cost tens of billions of dollars over the next decade, cutting into military readiness during the war on terrorism. Officials have also said the proposed change, if enacted, would amount to "double dipping."

In a Sept. 24 letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., Rumsfeld said the change "would divert critical resources away from the war on terrorism, the transformation of our military capabilities and important personnel programs such as pay raises and facilities improvement."

Veterans groups fired back.

"It is outrageous that government officials use the war on terror to justify unfair treatment of brave citizens who fought in wars past," wrote Edward Heath, head of the Disabled American Veterans, in a Sept. 27 letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Veterans should not have to "sacrifice their quality of life because of an archaic law that allows the government to escape its debt to military retirees who dedicated their adult lives to service to our nation and our way of life," he added.

The fight comes as lawmakers this week are trying to decide whether to satisfy veterans by including the proposal in the 2003 Defense authorization bill or to risk a presidential veto of the bill as the military gears up for possible action against Iraq.

Lawmakers from both parties have said they support a boost in benefits for disabled military retirees, but budget concerns have kept the change from being enacted for at least a decade.

Rumsfeld estimated the change would cost nearly $60 billion over 10 years.

Ronald Conley, head of The American Legion, said in a statement that the cost to the government is far outweighed by the loss of income to veterans over the past century. He also said that if disabled veterans go to work for federal agencies and retire as civilians, they get to collect their full pensions and disability benefits. Those who stay in the military until retirement are not treated the same way, he said.