Unanimous Consent Requests

Floor Speech

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I am here to talk about the costs of war. The United States is at war at this moment.

I am here to talk about the costs of war that should include the costs of caring for our veterans because they are the ones who fight our wars and keep our Nation strong and free.

We are failing to pay the costs of war for more than 50,000 combat- injured veterans. These veterans were forced to medically retire or they are undergoing medical separation because of combat-related injuries, and now they are receiving a dollar-for-dollar reduction in their military retirement pay from their VA disability benefits. That practice is wrong. It must be ended. It should have ended long ago.

In fact, last year, when I introduced the Major Richard Star Act, which now is cosponsored by 80 Members of this body--obviously, both sides of the aisle.

And the Major Richard Star Act is named for Richard Star. Unfortunately, he has passed away, but his brother David is with us today, and I thank him, his family, the veterans service organizations that have been tireless in their advocacy for the Major Richard Star Act, in being the voice and face of advocating for our veterans. The Major Richard Star Act is our legislation to fix this injustice and finally deliver combat-injured veterans their full military benefits.

Our bill has, rightfully, received large swaths of bipartisan support--not only the 80 cosponsors in the Senate but 334 in the House. And there is a bipartisan discharge petition signed now by 203 Members of Congress.

Not only has this measure received bipartisan support from the U.S. Congress, but in a hearing where I questioned him, the Secretary of Defense joined in supporting us and said very simply: We support the Major Richard Star Act.

``We support the [Major] Richard Star Act,'' without an offset because the Major Richard Star Act has no offset.

Now, he referred to the Major Richard Star Act, not to any offset, but the 80 cosponsors are supporting a bill without any offset. There should be none. There is no reason that we should correct this injustice by taking benefits away from other veterans, which is one of the proposals that has been made; that veterans who suffer from sleep apnea or tinnitus should be forced to sacrifice their benefits.

And despite all this overwhelming support, the House leadership and the Senate leadership has blocked my attempts to advance this legislation twice. I am here for a third time. And blocked also have been my requests for a simple vote on the bill. Why?

Opponents have claimed that our Nation cannot afford this bill and demand that we offset it by cutting benefits from other disabled veterans. And they are acquiescing in spending billions of dollars a day on the President's war of choice in the Middle East.

Right now, the Armed Services Committee--literally, later today--will begin marking up a $1.5 trillion request from the White House--$1.5 trillion, not even including the reconciliation amount. That probably brings the total closer to $2 trillion?

My point is: If we can afford $2 trillion for the Department of Defense, we can afford doing the right thing for combat-injured veterans at a total cost of probably $8 billion to $10 billion over 10 years. So the yearly cost would be approximately what this Nation is spending per day on the Iran war, in the conservative estimate, and probably lowballing of this administration.

There are other excuses advanced by leadership. They have said veterans are ``doubledipping.'' Our veterans community knows better. We all know better. They are entitled to both disability benefits and retirement pay.

The fact is, we are not talking about a new benefit. We are talking about these combat-injured veterans receiving existing benefits to which they are entitled. They have earned them. It is not an act of generosity or charity that we would correct this injustice. And the simple result and easy outcome here should be for us to approve this measure today.

Let me just say, finally: Veterans deserve action. This measure is long overdue. No more excuses, no more meaningless rhetoric, or continued cowardice. Let's have a vote.

If you won't approve it today, give us a vote. Let us express the will of the vast majority of veterans, the vast majority of the American people. Pass the Richard Star Act.

1032.

I further ask that the Blumenthal substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. In any event, if there is no request to modify, I just want to say that there should be no need to modify. There should be no need for any offset. The cost of war should include the cost of caring for our veterans.

But if there is going to be an offset--and I share my colleague's concern about the national debt--it ought to be from that $1.5 trillion that has been requested by the administration for the Department of Defense, when, in fact, the Secretary of Defense--or Secretary of War-- has said he supports it. It is a DOD program or Department of War program. The offset should come from the DOD. It should not come from veterans. It should not come from another government program.

We can spin a wheel or we can throw darts and say that is where the money should come from. But, logically, as a matter of principle and as a matter of what is right, it should come from the Department of Defense, which has more than adequate resources to do it.

So I am disappointed that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are blocking this unanimous consent, and I am going to ask that, at the very least, we have a vote on it. I think it is only right that this body be permitted to vote, and we have been asking for a vote for more than a year.

1032; further, that there be up to 2 hours for debate on the bill, equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; and that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Blumenthal substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time, and the Senate vote on passage of the bill, as amended, with 60 affirmative votes being required for passage, all without further intervening action or debate and no amendments or motions in order to the bill prior to the vote on passage.

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, we can agree or disagree with what my colleague from Kentucky has just said. It is entertaining, but it is deeply irrelevant to what I have asked to be done here. I am asking for a vote. The speech that he made could be made when we have time to vote, when this measure is put on the floor and we have a chance to express the will of this body. That is all I am asking.

We have 80 Members of the U.S. Senate cosponsoring this bill. The Secretary of Defense has endorsed it. Veterans service organizations are unanimously in favor of it.

The U.S. Congress pays for plenty of programs without demanding an offset. I am simply asking that a program for disabled veterans be treated in the same way.

Contrary to what my colleague says, this is not a VA program; it is not a veterans program. This is a Department of Defense program: retirement pay, disability benefits. Secretary Hegseth supports this bill without an offset.

But if Republicans insist on treating the Major Richard Star Act differently, then, at the very least, the money to pay for the wounds of war--the wounds of war that are occurring right now--at least 400 members of the military have been injured in some way so far in the Iran war. It should come from the Department of Defense.

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