Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth committed to supporting the Major Richard Star Act during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, according to an Apr. 30 statement following questions from U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The legislation aims to address benefit reductions for combat-injured veterans and has faced two blocks in the past year by Senate Republican leadership.
The issue concerns military retirees who are wounded in combat but receive reduced retirement pay due to offsets against their disability benefits. Blumenthal said, “I want to talk about the cost of war. The cost of war includes caring for our veterans.” He highlighted that “about 400 service members have been wounded as a result of this war. When they retire, when they come home, their retirement pay will be docked dollar for dollar for every disability benefit dollar they receive.”
Blumenthal pressed Hegseth directly: “Secretary Hegseth, I’d like your commitment that you will support the Major Richard Star Act. It will eliminate this wounded warrior tax... Tens of thousands of servicemen and women now are reduced in their retirement pay, literally, for every dollar of disability benefits they receive.” In response, Hegseth said: “As I have said in the past to other organizations, we support the Richard Star Act.”
The proposed law seeks to allow all combat-injured veterans full access to both Department of Defense retirement and Department of Veterans Affairs disability payments regardless of length or rating status—an issue affecting more than 50,000 retirees. While it has garnered bipartisan backing with 79 cosponsors in the Senate and 323 in the House, attempts led by Blumenthal in October and March were blocked over concerns about costs.
The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee is part of the United States Senate and collaborates with entities like the Department of Veterans Affairs according to its official website. The committee oversees benefits, health care and related programs intended to support veterans effectively according to its official website. It has contributed toward social progress by improving access to VA health care and helping veterans transition into civilian life according to its official website.
Jerry Moran served as chairman while Blumenthal was ranking member on this committee according to its official website. The committee maintains offices within the U.S. Capitol complex according to its official website and exercises jurisdiction over veterans' programs throughout the country according to its official website.
Blumenthal concluded his remarks by emphasizing urgency: "Well what I would like is your commitment that you will support the Major Richard Star Act?" As legislative discussions continue ahead of Veterans Day deadlines set by supporters such as Blumenthal, further developments on advancing or enacting these changes remain possible.
