Campaign Accountability Act of 2007

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bill we are debating today, H.R. 3793, the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act, which I introduced.

This legislation will ensure that from this point forward, every combat-wounded veteran injured in Afghanistan or Iraq receives their full enlistment or reenlistment bonus. No longer will American servicemen and women who have served our country so bravely and honorably and have been injured in service to our country, no longer will they be served with a bill to repay their enlistment bonus, and no longer will those heroic men and women suffer the indignity of having their prorated bonus payments cut off if those payments are to be made in installments.

Instead, my bill, which we are debating today, says that the full amounts due under the agreements and contracts that apply to a service combat disability be paid within 90 days of the separation of the servicemember. This legislation also applies to the family members and estates of servicemen and women who are killed in combat.

This issue first came to my attention over the summer while reviewing the Dole-Shalala Commission Report, an independent panel put into place in the spring to investigate the disgraceful situation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The Commission uncovered instances of our wounded warriors being denied their bonuses after being injured in combat. And after studying this issue in more detail and learning of other documented instances of this injustice, on October 10, I introduced a Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act, which is now before us.

In the weeks after I introduced the bill, we continued to hear multiple reports of cases around the country where servicemen and women had been denied bonuses, including the high-profile case involving Private Jordan Fox from my home area of western Pennsylvania. It has become clear that these were not just isolated examples, but instead, some of the hundreds and perhaps thousands of examples of veterans being asked to return their bonuses or be denied the remaining portion of their bonuses after being injured in service to our country.

And while some have made an issue of the expense of paying back these bonuses, let me be clear: There is no group that should stand ahead of our Nation's veterans when it comes time to making Federal funding decisions. Some may argue that because these servicemen and women were injured that they were unable to fulfill their contractual obligations and therefore should be denied the remainder of their bonuses. I want to be equally clear on this point. Members of our Armed Forces have made every conceivable sacrifice for our country, and those who have been injured in service to our country have more than fulfilled the obligations of their service contract. Paying them the bonuses that they have fought for and that they have earned is the very least we can do to repay them for their bravery and their sacrifice.

Finally, I want to make clear that this is a bipartisan bill with more than 270 cosponsors. I want to thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, dozens of which have cosponsored this bill and some of whom will speak in favor of it today. I especially want to thank my colleagues, Mr. Stearns from Florida and Mr. Jones from North Carolina, the lead Republican sponsors of this bill. They joined me in support of this bill before it became a high-profile issue, and I thank them for their leadership. I also want to single out two of my Democratic colleagues, my lead Democratic cosponsor, Congressman Patrick Murphy from my home State of Pennsylvania, an Iraq war veteran himself, and Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan who has fought as hard as any Member of this House for the right of veterans to keep their enlistment bonus.

Most importantly, I want to thank Chairman Ike Skelton for his willingness to help bring this bill to the floor. Chairman Skelton's amendment has made this a better bill, and I thank him for his support and his continued leadership as chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in voting for the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act before us today. I am sure that all my colleagues in the House would agree that we in Congress must support our troops with our actions and not just with our words. This bill will ensure that every military veteran gets the bonuses they deserve. During this holiday season when our thoughts and prayers are with the brave servicemen and women serving overseas and their families here at home, I can think of no greater tribute we can provide.

Mr. Speaker, I yield so much time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones).

Mr. Speaker, I yield so much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Broun).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3793, as amended, a bill to ensure that military personnel who die or who are retired or separated for medical reasons are paid their full enlistment or re- enlistment bonuses and are not subject to repayment of any portion of those bonuses.

Last month, media stories sparked outrage among Members of Congress and citizens alike when they highlighted what appeared to be a potentially widespread practice by the Army and Department of Defense. Media reports stated that wounded servicemembers who could no longer continue on active duty because of those wounds were being required to repay portions of their enlistment or re-enlistment bonuses because they had not fulfilled the terms of their contracts. In some cases, the Army was cited as demanding repayment of thousands of dollars from soldiers who, but for their wound or injuries in combat, continued to serve the Army in this Nation honorably.

What the media failed to report completely was that the Department of Defense and the military services had an active policy in place that addressed this problem. The policy did the following: first, in cases where a servicemember died, not at the result of his or her own misconduct, the unpaid portions of an enlistment or re-enlistment bonus would be paid to the servicemember's survivors, and there would be no requirement to repay already paid bonuses.

Second, when the servicemember was unable to complete an enlistment or re-enlistment due to circumstances reasonably beyond the service- member's control, no already paid bonus would be recouped. Finally, the Secretaries of the military services had broad discretion, on a case- by-case basis, to forego recoupment and pay out unpaid portions of bonuses.

H.R. 3793, as amended, captures and codifies the most effective parts of the existing DOD policy, and goes beyond that policy. When enacted, H.R. 3793 will guarantee that a servicemember who dies or is retired or separated for medical disability will not be required to pay any portion of a bonus or similar benefit that they had received. It mandates that the full contracted amount of any unpaid bonus or similar benefit be paid, as appropriate, to the estates of servicemembers who die or to servicemembers who are retired or separated due to a disability. And it mandates that payments are to be made not later than 90 days after the death, retirement, or separation of the servicemember.

Additionally, if a service Secretary determines that requiring repayment or withholding payment of the unpaid bonus would be contrary to a personnel policy or management objective, against equity and good conscience, or be contrary to the best interests of the United States, then they would be allowed to waive repayment or to continue payment of unpaid bonuses. Discretion should be allowed for the most beneficial interpretation in favor of our courageous servicemembers.

H.R. 3793 is a good bill, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting it. Our servicemen and -women deserve our most humble thanks, and this bill would ensure that we are honoring their sacrifices by not denying them or their families their due pay.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11th.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3793) to amend title 37, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense to continue to pay to a member of the Armed Forces who is retired or separated from the Armed Forces due to a combat-related injury certain bonuses that the member was entitled to before the retirement or separation and would continue to be entitled to if the member was not retired or separated, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, today the House has a unique opportunity to clarify the law to protect the financial security of wounded veterans, their families and the families of soldiers who have been killed in the line of duty. As recently as last month, we have heard a number of cases in the media suggesting that the Department of Defense has been requiring soldiers wounded in combat to pay back part of their enlistment bonuses if they hadn't yet served their full term, or even worse, that it would require these benefits to be paid back by the grieving families of soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Quite simply, this is wrong. If a soldier signed up to serve our country and is unable to serve out the full team of his or her enlistment due to wounds received in the line of duty, this soldier should not then be asked to return any part of their signing bonus. For a soldier who has faced the hardships and battle and is now facing the challenges of recovery, we should not add the additional burden of paying back money that is rightfully theirs.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3793, the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act of 2007, ends the uncertainty about the policy and makes clear that this Nation will never attempt to recoup bonuses and benefits from wounded veterans or grieving families. It mandates that unpaid bonuses or similar benefits are paid in full, and it requires that this financial protection be provided not later than 90 days after the death of a soldier or the departure from the military due to disability from all active duty and Reserve component members.

Finally, the act establishes firm guidelines to ensure that the military will act with fairness and equity when handling the question of such bonuses for all servicemembers.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire) for his diligence and timely work on this sensitive issue and for his commitment to bring this important legislation to the floor of the House. I strongly support H.R. 3793, the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act of 2007, and urge its immediate adoption.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield 5 minutes to my friend and colleague, the original sponsor of this important piece of legislation, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Carney).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

I rise in support of the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act of 2007. Currently, when a servicemember is wounded in combat and cannot return to duty, the Department of Defense allows each military branch to determine, in their discretion, whether to pay a servicemember any portion of a bonus still due to them. As a result, some members of the Armed Forces, who have served their Nation bravely, sustaining severe injuries, are not receiving their full bonus.

In the last month, I have written to the President on three occasions urging him to immediately terminate this disgraceful policy. In response, I received conflicting information from the Department of Defense regarding this policy. Deputy Under Secretary William Carr wrote me on December 12, in a letter, and he stated: ``The Army pays all unpaid enlisted and re-enlistment bonus installments.'' Not true.

In conversations with the Department of the Army National Guard Bureau, my staff has been told that instead of paying the full bonus due, the Army prorates a soldier's bonus based on the number of months the soldier served before their medical discharge. It's still unclear as to what the policy is with the Army. This is why we need to enact a Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act. We need to establish a uniform Department of Defense policy to ensure all outstanding bonuses are promptly paid to our deserving heroes. Bonuses should be paid in full, without question.

I was first alerted to this program by an Iraqi war veteran in my district, Derek Gagne, from Wilson, Michigan. Derek, an Army National Guardsman, had been denied the remainder of his bonus after suffering a severe eye injury, losing part of his foot and his leg when his Humvee struck an IED in Iraq. Only after numerous calls and questions from my office is Derek now receiving his bonus. Our veterans should not need to fight so hard for something they are entitled to.

I am pleased to join my colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire) in cosponsoring the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act. This bipartisan bill, supported by over 200 Members of Congress, would require the Department of Defense to establish a uniform policy which provides veterans who are discharged from the military due to combat-related injuries or service-connected injuries their full payment of any bonuses within 90 days of discharge.

This legislation should not be necessary. As Commander in Chief, the President has the ability to correct this policy by requiring all military branches to provide severely wounded members with their full bonuses. This administration is quick to go to war, but slow to respond to the needs of our veterans.

Our Nation must be committed to caring for and honoring our veterans not just with words, but with deeds. Ensuring that our soldiers receive the bonuses they were promised is the least we can do for those who put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms.

I want to thank the gentlelady from New Hampshire for yielding me the time, and I appreciate her work on behalf of veterans and their families. I would also like to recognize my colleague from Pennsylvania, Representative Altmire, for championing this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, a little over a month ago we celebrated Veterans Day and were reminded of the men and women who have served our Nation and continue to wear our country's uniform. These brave men and women have volunteered for service with the assurances of health care and benefits for

them and their families. But despite entering into this solemn pledge, far too often our government has unfairly shortchanged our veterans.

With our readiness levels considered to be reaching all-time lows, our military has been attracting recruits via monetary incentives. The Department of Defense has been offering signing bonuses to soldiers in order to entice candidates for longer enlistment periods. But in too many cases, our wounded warriors are having their payments cut short or, in some instances, entirely taken away. Soldiers who sustain a combat-related injury and cannot serve out the entirety of their enlistment period are being forced to return part of or all of their bonuses. That is flat wrong. This is a shameful practice that is unjust and in no way reflects how our Nation's heroes ought to be treated.

H.R. 3793, the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act, remedies this unfair practice by requiring the DOD to uphold their part of the deal and fully pay all bonuses to veterans medically discharged due to combat- related wounds. Injuries sustained on the battlefield which prevent a soldier from completing their enlistment period should not be treated like some type of breach of contract. It is reprehensible to ask our wounded warriors to pay back any bonuses afforded them, as they have already sacrificed an amount for which no price can be named.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of H.R. 3793 and encourage my colleagues to support its passage.