Defense

Hegseth boosts veteran benefits bill that key Republicans have opposed

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by Filip Timotija - 05/10/26 6:00 AM ET

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by Filip Timotija - 05/10/26 6:00 AM ET

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a rare boost last week to a bipartisan bill that key Republicans, including the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), have opposed over cost concerns.

The legislation, named after a U.S. Army combat engineer, diagnosed with cancer due to toxic burn pit exposure, would provide about 54,000 combat-injured service members, who are medically retired, retirement pay and Veterans Affairs (VA) disability concurrently.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who has championed the bill in the upper chamber, brought up the legislation during a SASC hearing last week on the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2027.

“Well, what I would like is your commitment that you will support the Major Richard Star Act,” Blumenthal said.

“As I have said in the past to other organizations, we support the Richard Star Act,” Hegseth said in response.

While veterans’ groups have pushed for the bill, which was first introduced in 2023, its potential passage was blocked by Republican senators last year and again earlier this year over cost concerns.

In October, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said that, like Blumenthal, he respects and supports veterans.

“However, my colleague is asking for an entitlement that does amount to a double benefit and that we cannot afford,” Wicker said on the Senate floor. “We’re talking between $9 billion and $10 billion on the Department of Defense Authorization Act and we’re talking about adding a bill, a piece of legislation that really belongs in another jurisdiction, as my friend acknowledged.”

Similarly, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) blocked the legislation from unanimous consent passage and a motion to give the measure a floor vote in March, saying the bill would run the government more than $70 billion over the first decade.

The Pentagon is asking for $1.5 trillion in spending for next year, a request that has received broad support from the GOP.

The Richard Star Act already has the backing of nearly 80 senators and more than 320 House members. Veterans groups were hopeful that Hegseth’s endorsement could provide the momentum to get it across the finish line.

“I think Secretary Hegseth’s support could help build some momentum and additional public support” for the bill, said Kristina Keenan, the director for the National Legislative Service of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of the United States.

“I think with the secretary’s comments and his public support, I do hope that that maybe doesn’t change anyone’s opinion, because I think we’re all on the same wavelength, but I do hope that it kind of pushes people to be more proactive and pushing it through,” Jess Finucan, the director of policy and advocacy at the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), said in an interview with The Hill.

Veterans who have earned full retirement pay for being in service for more than two decades and who qualify for VA disability benefits get both if their disability rating is above 50 percent — a determination made by the department based on how severely conditions impact one’s functional ability.

However, veterans who were forced to retire early due to combat or combat-linked injuries do not receive full retirement pay from the Pentagon and full disability compensation from the VA, as their Department of Defense pay is offset dollar-for-dollar by the amount of VA disability payout they get, leaving some with considerably less benefits in the end.

“I think the average that someone could earn back if they were able to have concurrent receipt would be almost $2,000 [per month]. That could be rent in some areas. That could be financial stability for you and your family. A lot of these folks are still of working age,” said Finucan, of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

However, Johnson argued in March that it was simply not fiscally prudent.

“The men and women of this military that I know didn’t serve and sacrifice oblivious to the fact that we’re mortgaging our children’s future,” the Wisconsin Republican said on the Senate floor. “They serve and sacrifice to secure our children’s future.”

“So we can’t just come down here and talk about how much we love vets and how we want to support them. We also have to look at the reality situation, the dollars and cents, we’re $39 trillion in debt. Over the next decade, it could probably go to $60 trillion,” he added. “We have to look at the dollars and cents.”

Johnson told Blumenthal tha