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Commission member urges support for the Richard Starr Act to protect veterans' disability benefits
Summary
During the June 15 O'Fallon Veterans Commission meeting, a commission member urged attendees to press Congress to pass the federal Richard Starr Act, saying it would prevent reductions to disability payments when a veteran earns income; members discussed advocacy and noted the bill has been delayed in committee.
During the O'Fallon Veterans Commission meeting on June 15, a commission member urged the group and the public to contact congressional offices in support of the federal Richard Starr Act, saying the bill would prevent reductions to veterans’ disability payments when veterans earn income.
The speaker, who was not named in the transcript, described recent advocacy by veterans organizations and said the measure "has been sitting on Capitol Hill" and was being held up in committee. The speaker asserted: "A disabled veteran who is disabled as a result of his service in the military should not have his disability reduced because he can sit at home behind a computer and make money." Members in the room agreed the act should be advanced, and the speaker encouraged commission members and local advocates to press their representatives.
The speaker also said advocates have attempted more direct action, recounting a visit to a congressional office where veterans sought an audience with staff. The transcript records frustration with delay: the speaker said a senator from Wisconsin was preventing the measure from moving to the floor for a vote.
Commission members did not take a formal vote at the meeting on a statement or endorsement but discussed steps individuals could take to support the bill. The item was presented as a request for constituent advocacy rather than a commission policy action.
Other business at the June 15 meeting included announcements about a June 28 minor‑league military appreciation night (commission member Belinda has 100 tickets available) and an approximate commission account balance of $1,800; the meeting closed with a prayer and adjournment.
