Trump Administration Backs Major Richard Star Act, Impacting Disabled Veterans' Benefits
The Trump administration has publicly endorsed the Major Richard Star Act, a legislative proposal aimed at changing how certain disabled military retirees receive their benefits. This proposal seeks to eliminate a rule that reduces military retirement pay for some combat-disabled veterans who also receive Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation. If passed, the law could affect approximately 54,000 veterans across the United States. The act is named after Army Reserve Major Richard Star, who was medically retired due to service-related illness and later died from cancer linked to burn pit exposure. The legislation has been introduced multiple times but has not yet been brought to a final vote, despite having significant bipartisan support in Congress. The main obstacle to its passage has been concerns over funding, with estimates suggesting it could cost around $11 billion over ten years. 
