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Bill would let more reservists retire early

A bipartisan group of 10 senators moved Wednesday to greatly expand a new reserve retirement pay formula to provide credit toward earlier retirement checks for any time spent mobilized since Sept. 11, 2001.

A new law took effect in January that allows reservists, who now must wait until age 60 to draw military retirement pay, to get payments 90 days earlier for every 90 days of continuous mobilization. But credit is given only for days spent on active duty as of the date the bill became law.

The lack of retroactive credit in the new law, included in the 2008 Defense Authorization Act that was signed on Jan. 28, prompted complaints from a host of military and veterans groups, including the major National Guard and reserve associations.

Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., are the chief sponsors of the new bill.

Cosponsors include Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.; Norm Coleman, R-Minn.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.; Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.; Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan.

Chambliss was the chief sponsor of last year’s reserve retirement proposal, passed by the Senate, that would have been retroactive to 2001. The effective date was changed in negotiations with the House as a money-saving move.

Chambliss said the 2001 effective date makes more sense because that is when the role of the National Guard and reserve components “fundamentally changed.”

“Providing our Guard and reserve retroactive credit for retirement benefits they have earned is one small way Washington can honor their tremendous sacrifices,” Kerry said.

The bill is called the National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act. It was referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which will hold a hearing next week on pay and benefits issues.

Congressional aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there is little doubt the Senate will pass the bill. The big obstacle remains the House of Representatives, which operates under tougher budgetary rules that would require lawmakers to pinpoint a source of funding for the retroactive benefits.

Such a funding source has not yet been identified, Chambliss aides said.