Jun. 20, 2017
HARRISBURG – The state House of Representatives this week approved a resolution authored by Rep. Frank Ryan (R-Lebanon) urging the President of the United States and the U.S. Congress to enact House Resolution 303, the Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2017, which is federal legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The problem Ryan wants Congress to fix without delay is that, traditionally, a career military person receives lower pay and retirement than his or her civilian counterpart even though he or she has invested a life of hardships and long hours without the benefit of overtime pay.
Allowances to dependents of veterans with a 30 percent disability are increased with the amount of disability. But the Department of Defense deducts the entire amounts of dependents’ allowances, essentially leaving the disabled military retiree with no dependent allowance, a discrimination which extends to the families of military retirees.
“American servicemen and women have dedicated their careers to protect the rights we all enjoy. Career military personnel endured hardships, privation and the threat of death, disability and long separations from their families in service to our country,” Ryan said. “Those who have made a career of defending our great nation are vital to the success of our military forces, both in peace and at war, from the Revolutionary War to the present day.
“It is unfair to require disabled military retirees to fund their own veteran’s compensation by deductions on a dollar-for-dollar basis in the Department of Defense. No such deduction applies to similar federal civil service personnel or congressional retirement beneficiaries who receive veterans’ compensation.”
The unanimous passage of Ryan’s resolution causes the entire membership of the Pennsylvania House to formally request that the president and Congress recognize the dedication and sacrifice of these brave military personnel and veterans by enacting legislation to permit full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and other veteran’s compensation, including dependents’ allowances, without further delay.
Representative Frank Ryan
101st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Charles Lardner
717.260.6443
clardner@pahousegop.com
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