National Conference of Viet Nam Veteran Ministers



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Disabled Veterans Tax

A Peace and Justice Statement
October 23, 2003





The National Conference of Viet Nam Veteran Ministers, meeting in New York City, October 20 to October 24, 2003, and after prayerful reflection, issued the following statement concerning the issue of concurrent receipt, otherwise known as the "disabled veterans tax:"

We who have served our country in a far off land and who bear witness to the terrors of war but fortunately returned to our nation reasonably healthy regard with horror the manner in which our brothers and sisters who have honorably retired from serving our nation and yet are also disabled are currently treated. There still exists a law that penalizes disabled military retirees, unlike other federal retirees, by taxing them 100 percent for any payment received from the VA for permanent service-connected disability.

This a shameful situation and a betrayal of the commitment made by Abraham Lincoln and endorsed by subsequent administrations that those who have borne the burden of battle would be cared for. Current attempts to phase in such payments over ten years mean only that many of those deserving just compensation and care will have died.

We call upon the Congress and current administration to forgo further posturing and act with honor and immediately pass and sign appropriate legislation to correct this situation.

Especially we urge the 169 of 170 Republican co-sponsors of H.R. 303 who have not yet done so to immediately sign the discharge petition that will allow the bill to come before the House.

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