House approves bill to boost compensation for many veterans, with some floor drama

WASHINGTON — The House passed a major package of veterans bills Wednesday on Veterans Day — but not without confusion and controversy. The centerpiece of the package is an effort to boost compensation for an estimated 58,000 veterans who are medically retired because of combat-related injuries. That objective has broad, bipartisan support in Congress, but lawmakers and veterans groups aren't on the same page about how to get there. kAm%96 5:=6>>2 =2H>2<6CD 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ C6D@=G6 :D E9:Di &?56C 4FCC6?E =2H[ 4@>32E\:?;FC65 C6E:C66D H:E9 =6DD E92? a_ J62CD @7 D6CG:46 8:G6 FA 2 A@CE:@? @7 E96:C >:=:E2CJ C6E:C6>6?E A2J H96? E96J 2=D@ C646:G6 s6A2CE>6?E @7 '6E6C2?D p772:CD 5:D23:=:EJ 4@>A6?D2E:@?] {2H>2<6CD 7C@> 3@E9 A2CE:6D 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 492?86 E92E D@ E92E E9@D6 C6E:C66D 86E 2== @7 E96:C :?;FCJ 4@>A6?D2E:@? 2?5 >:=:E2CJ C6E:C6>6?E A2J]k^Am kAm%96 492?86 H@F=5 =625 E@ 2? 2G6C286 4@>A6?D2E:@? 3@@DE @7 23@FE S`[cd_ >@C6 A6C >@?E9[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 r@?8C6DD:@?2= qF586E ~77:46]k^Am kAm#6AF3=:42?D 3C@F89E E@ E96 7=@@C 2 3:== E92E H@F=5 96=A A2J 7@C E96 :?4@>6 3@@DE 7@C E9@D6 C6E:C66D 3J 492?8:?8 9@H E96 56A2CE>6?E C2E6D E:??:EFD @C D=66A 2A?62] %9@D6 492?86D H@F=5 =@H6C 5:D23:=:EJ 4@>A6?D2E:@? 7@C D@>6 7FEFC6 G6E6C2?D[ E9@F89 E96J H@F=5 ?@E 27764E 4FCC6?E G6E6C2?D C646:G:?8 4@>A6?D2E:@? 7@C E9@D6 4@?5:E:@?D] s6>@4C2ED @G6CH96=>:?8=J @AA@D65 E92E EC256\@77 2?5 56?@F?465 E96 >62DFC6 2D E96 3:== H2D 5632E65]k^Am kAm“xE 5@6D ?@E E2<6 42C6 @7 G6E6C2?D] xE E2<6D 7C@> E96>[” #6A] #2F= #F:K[ s\r2=:7][ D2:5 @7 E96 #6AF3=:42? 3:==]k^Am kAm#6AF3=:42?D 925 E@ AF== E96 3:== 7C@> 4@?D:56C2E:@? 62C=:6C E9:D J62C 3642FD6 E96J 5:5?’E 92G6 E96 G@E6D E@ A2DD :E] %9:D E:>6[ s6>@4C2E:4 =6256CD 282:? 6?4@FC2865 E96:C >6>36CD E@ @AA@D6 E96 >62DFC6 3642FD6 E96J D2:5 4FEE:?8 36?67:ED 7@C @?6 8C@FA @7 G6E6C2?D E@ 7F?5 ?6H 36?67:ED 7@C 2?@E96C :D ?@E E96 2?DH6C]k^Am kAm%96 w@FD6 492>36C H2D A24<65 2?5 ?@:DJ 2D =2H>2<6CD E2=<65 2>@?8 E96>D6=G6D 7@==@H:?8 2? 62C=:6C G@E6] pD :D E96 ?@C>2= 4@FCD6 @7 3FD:?6DD[ E96 w@FD6 4=6C< C625 E96 E:E=6 @7 E96 G6E6C2?D 3:== 2?5 E96? E96 AC6D:5:?8 @77:46C[ #6A] p55:D@? |4s@H6==[ #\}]r][ D2:5 E96 BF6DE:@? 7@C E96 w@FD6 H2D @? A2DD286 @7 E96 3:== 2?5 E92E E9@D6 :? 72G@C D9@F=5 D2J 2J6 2?5 E9@D6 @AA@D65 D9@F=5 D2J ?@]k^Am kAm“%96 2J6D 92G6 :E[” |4s@H6== D2:5] “%96 3:== :D A2DD65]”k^Am kAm}@C>2==J[ s6>@4C2ED H@F=5 :?E6C;64E 2?5 2D< 7@C 2 C@== 42== G@E6] qFE ?@?6 42>6] p?5 #6AF3=:42?D D:>A=J AFE E96 @?FD @? s6>@4C2ED[ H:E9 #6A] |:<6 q@DE[ 492:C>2? @7 E96 w@FD6 r@>>:EE66 @? '6E6C2?DV p772:CD[ 42==:?8 s6>@4C2ED “2D=66A 2E E96 H966=]”k^Am kAm“x7 ?@3@5J 42==D 7@C E96 G@E6[ :EVD A2DD65[ H9:49 :D 2 8@@5 E9:?8[Q D2:5 w@FD6 |2;@C:EJ {6256C $E6G6 $42=:D6]k^Am kAm“x7 2 76H @7 E96> H2?E E@ 8@ G@:46 E96:C @3;64E:@?D[ E96J 42? 8@ 2?5 >2<6 :E 4=62C @? E96 w@FD6 7=@@C H9J E96J 2C6 282:?DE @FC G6E6C2?D @? '6E6C2?D s2J] qFE x H2D AC@F5 E@ DFAA@CE :E[” $42=:D6 D2:5] “xV> 8=25 :E A2DD65]”k^Am kAm#6A] |2C< %2<2?@[ E96 C2?<:?8 s6>@4C2E:4 >6>36C @7 E96 '6E6C2?D’ p772:CD r@>>:EE66[ D2:5 E96C6 H2D ?@ @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C E96 >:?@C:EJ E@ 2D< 7@C 2 C64@C565 G@E6]k^Am kAm“%96 :?E6?E:@? H2D E@ D?62< E9:D E9C@F89[” %2<2?@ D2:5] “(6==[ 2== x 42? D2J :D[ x E9:?< :EVD 2 D92==@H[ 2 9@==@H G:4E@CJ 3642FD6 :E H:== 8@ ?@H96C6 :? E96 $6?2E6]”k^Am kAmr@CJ v6:D=6C[ E96 ?2E:@?2= 4@>>2?56C\:?\49:67 2E E96 '6E6C2?D @7 u@C6:8? (2CD[ 3=2DE65 E96 G@:46 G@E6 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am kAm“x7 4@?8C6DD:@?2= =6256CD 36=:6G65 E9:D AC@A@D2= H2D H@CE9J @7 A2DD286[ E96J D9@F=5 92G6 925 E96 4@FC286 E@ =6E 6G6CJ >6>36C’D A@D:E:@? 36 C64@C565 7@C E96 4@F?ECJ E@ D66[” v6:D=6C D2:5] “!=2J:?8 A@=:E:42= 82>6D H:E9 G6E6C2?D’ 36?67:ED H9:=6 2G@:5:?8 AF3=:4 244@F?E23:=:EJ :D 4@H2C5=J 2?5 5:D9@?@C23=6]”k^Am kAms6>@4C2ED 92G6 E96:C @H? 3:== 562=:?8 H:E9 E96 :DDF6 E92E :D 6IA64E65 E@ 36 G@E65 @? %9FCD52J] $FAA@CE6CD FD65 2 5:D492C86 A6E:E:@? E@ 86E 2C@F?5 #6AF3=:42? =6256CD9:A 2?5 7@C46 2 G@E6 @? E96 7=@@C] qFE E96 s6>@4C2E:4 >62DFC6 5@6D ?@E :?4=F56 @77D6ED]k^Am kAm%2<2?@ D2:5 E92E H9:=6 D@>6 #6AF3=:42?D 92G6 G@:465 4@?46C?D 23@FE E96 AC:46 E28 @7 9:D 3:== E96J 2=D@ 92G6 ?@ AC@3=6> D6?5:?8 D@=5:6CD E@ H2C 2?5 2AAC@G:?8 E96 !6?E28@? 3F586ED E92E 4@>6 H:E9 :E[ @C :? A2DD:?8 E2I 3C622C:=J 36?67:E E96 H62=E9J]k^Am kAm“(9J E96? 5@ E96J :?D:DE @? 32=2?4:?8 E96 3F586E @? E96 324@4C2E:4\=65 3:== A2DD6D[ E96 $6?2E6 4@F=5 A:4< E96 @?6 :E 72G@CD[ @C ?6:E96C[ =62G:?8 :E 7@C 2 s6>@4C2E:4\4@?EC@==65 r@?8C6DD E@ E2<6 E96 :DDF6 @? ?6IE J62C]k^Am