After months of advocacy from EANGUS members, veterans, and partner organizations, the discharge petition for the Major Richard Star Act has officially reached the 218 signatures needed to move the legislation toward a vote on the House floor.
On September 15, Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) became the 218th member of Congress to sign Discharge Petition No. 22, joining Republican Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ), Thomas Massie (KY), and Anna Paulina Luna (FL) in supporting the petition alongside their Democrat colleagues.
This is a major milestone in the years-long effort to pass the Major Richard Star Act. The legislation would allow combat-injured service members who were medically retired before reaching 20 years of service to receive their full military retirement pay alongside their VA disability compensation.
Reaching 218 signatures, however, is not the end of the process. Under House rules, the petition must now complete a seven-legislative-day waiting period before further action can be taken. With the House preparing to recess, EANGUS continues to support efforts to ensure Congress remains in session long enough to allow the discharge process to move forward and provide Members with a clean up-or-down vote on the Major Richard Star Act.
EANGUS thanks every member of Congress who signed the petition, as well as the thousands of advocates who contacted their Representatives and kept attention on this issue. Reaching 218 signatures demonstrates the sustained bipartisan support behind correcting the retirement offset affecting combat-injured veterans.
Now we need your help to finish the job. EANGUS has launched a new Call to Action asking members to contact their Congressional Delegations (CODELs) and urge their Representatives to oppose any Motion to Recess until the House holds a clean up-or-down vote on the Major Richard Star Act.
We have reached 218. Now it is time for a vote.
