Burr hopes to change disability system for vets

WASHINGTON – Sen. Richard Burr introduced legislation today to change the ratings disability system for veterans, potentially affecting not only the more than 700,000 veterans in North Carolina, but also the soldiers and Marines returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Burr, who is the top Republican on the Senate veteran affairs committee, said he wants to improve an outdated system that hasn’t been changed substantially in half a century.

“Now’s the time for us to tackle this,” Burr said. “We understand today’s soldiers have totally different expectations.”

Veteran service organizations, though, have held off on endorsing his bill. And Democratic leaders in Veteran Affairs committees in Congress say they want to learn more about what’s needed before making changes to the system.

Similar legislation was introduced today by U.S. Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana, the top Republican on the House veteran affairs committee. The men described their bills this afternoon in a meeting with reporters in the U.S. Capitol.

Now, veterans must receive disability rankings from both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veteran Affairs – a process that the lawmakers said often results in disparate ratings and confusion for veterans.

Burr and Buyer wants to take the defense department out of the ratings system – except for determining whether a warrior is fit to serve – and leave all exams and ratings to the veteran affairs agency.

The pair also want to add disability payments to help troops transition from active duty to veteran status, and to compensate for quality-of-life issues.

“Consider someone who’s had an amputation,” said Buyer, gripping his right leg. “How does that change their life? When they get up in the morning, what does it take for them to get to the restroom? What does it take to get to work?”

Buyer said the bill could initially cost the federal government more money, but Burr said he hopes to see long-term savings.

The Department of Veteran Affairs already is conducting a study on updating the disability system to include quality-of-life issues. Burr’s and Buyer’s bills require the agency to then develop a new system based on the results of that study.

Their bills come as the Democrat-controlled committees in both the House and Senate continue a series of hearings on benefits. The hearings come in the wake of recommendations by a congressional veterans disability benefits commission, and by President Bush’s commission on wounded warriors led by Donna Shalala and Bob Dole.

Under their bills, veterans in the current system could choose whether to move to the new system or not. The new system would apply to all new veterans.

“Every day this is not passed, the next person that goes into the system goes into an antiquated system,” Burr said. “We need to convince our (Democratic) chairmen that now is the time to act.”

bbarrett@mcclatchydc.com (202) 383-0012