Press Release # 365

Subj: Five minutes of your time to help a vet get the word to congress
Date: 1/23/2004 2:47:42 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: "William Gast" <williamgast@supportthevets.com>

January 23,2004
One of the most organized, coordinated grassroots efforts by veteran webmasters started at 0830 hours EST Wednesday January 21 and continues as you read.

Disabled veterans polarized by the recent affront to their intelligence by the administration have banded together to express disgust and outright anger for leaving their disabled buddies behind. When the 108th congress gutted HR303- the bill intended to restore the military retired pay for disabled veterans- and in its place established HR1588 a compromise that addressed only the small number of severely disabled ( over 50%) they created a problem. The problem was that veterans don?t leave their buddies behind. They don?t split and divide benefits which is what the

 

?compromise? required. According to HR1588 all disabled veterans with less than 50% disability will wait in a ten year phase in program to start collecting their full retired pay.

The NDAA compromise was signed by the President but due to administrative red tape, no vets have received their offset pay?not even the ones on the 100% disabled group list.

We are asking our brother and sister veterans to contact their Congressional representatives to go back and sign the discharge petition for HR303 that remains at the house clerks desk waiting on only 14 more Republican signatures..

This will bring HR303 to the house floor for a vote. HR303 has an overwhelming number of cosponsors that have promised to vote in favor of the offset to retired pay. Its time that these Congressional representatives started to walk the walk. Ask them to sign the discharge petition. Veteran webmasters are publishing on their websites the contacts to do this. (See supportthevets.com or vetsforjustice.com or vet-r-us.com for example) Please take five minutes to contact your representative and ask them to sign the Discharge Petition OR contact your local paper and let them know that we need these signatures. Every single letter, email or fax helps.

Let?s make this happen. Be proud that you did something for your veteran that has done a lot for America.

Thank you.

Bill Gast USN (RET) D.A.V.

--Editor?supportthevets,com

Back to T.O.C. 3