House Resolution No. by Kaufmann, Croken, Wichtenahl, and Amos Jr. urges Congress to support the Major Richard Star Act, which aims to provide medically retired service members with full access to their retirement pay and benefits. The resolution highlights the case of Major Richard Star, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who, after being diagnosed with lung cancer due to exposure to burn pits, was forced to retire before completing 20 years of service. As a result, he was ineligible to receive both his retirement and disability benefits, a situation that affects an estimated 50,000 retired service members under current regulations.

The resolution emphasizes that veterans with less than 20 years of service and a disability rating below 50 percent face a dollar-for-dollar reduction in retirement pay for every dollar of disability pay they receive. The Major Richard Star Act seeks to eliminate these restrictions, ensuring that all medically retired service members can access their full benefits. The resolution calls on the Senate and the entire congressional delegation from Iowa to support this important legislation, asserting that the United States has a moral obligation to provide these benefits to its veterans, regardless of the associated costs.