Both the House and the Senate have passed their different versions of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, which now must be resolved by joint committee.
Our brave men and women, who in many instances have paid premiums for many years in the belief that their survivors would receive up to 55 percent of their retired pay, deserve the respect that their service earned them. Where the Senate version would completely restore the current dollar for dollar offset of Survivors Benefit Payments by VA Dependency Indemnity Compensation, the House version would restore only $40 per month.
As your constituent, I urge you to actively support retaining the Senate version of this legislation because it contains provisions which are important to members of the active military services, retirees and their families.
Many of these same provisions have been rejected in the past, but have been introduced again and again because their passage is not only in the best interests of this nation, it is simply the right thing to do.
Again, I urge you to support the Senate provisions in the final 2008 NDAA.
