A double amputee who served in Iraq is pushing lawmakers to end the 'wounded veterans tax'

WASHINGTON — When Army seasoned Dan Nevins was forced to medically discontinue from the subject aft losing some his legs successful combat, helium thought he’d beryllium financially taken attraction of by the state that helium served.

But Nevins soon discovered the alleged “wounded veterans tax” — an unofficial word for a national argumentation that prohibits definite injured veterans from receiving some their afloat status wage and disablement compensation.

“I was told I could not person both,” Nevins told NBC News successful an interview. “And I was like, ‘Wait a minute. That’s not what I thought was going to happen.’”

It’s an contented that affects astir 50,000 veterans, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, costing them each astir $1,900 per month.

Under existent national policy, veterans who person little than 20 years of work and a disablement standing nether 50% get a dollar taken retired of their status for each dollar they person successful disablement compensation. The disablement standing is assigned by the Veterans Affairs Department and assesses however overmuch an wounded oregon disablement whitethorn interaction a veteran’s wellness and quality to function.

And now, Nevins is pushing lawmakers successful Washington to alteration that.

In 2004, erstwhile Nevins was deployed to Iraq arsenic a squad leader, an improvised explosive instrumentality detonated beneath his vehicle. The blast killed his platoon sergeant, and yet some of Nevins legs would beryllium amputated beneath the genu due to the fact that of the injuries helium sustained.

“People accidental erstwhile you’re astir to dice your beingness flashes earlier your eyes. That wasn’t truly my experience. It was much similar a slideshow of things near undone,” said Nevins, who inactive wears a bracelet each time to grant his platoon sergeant.

“The past benignant of vision, it was my 10-year-old daughter, but she was each grown up and dressed successful achromatic caput to toe, and walking down the aisle without her dad. And I was like, ‘I’m alive. I person to bash thing to support it that way.’”

After a achy and lengthy betterment process, which included 36 surgeries and an 18-month enactment astatine Walter Reed Hospital, Nevins started to unrecorded his beingness again. That included learning immoderate caller skills, specified arsenic becoming a certified yoga instructor.

But due to the fact that of his injuries, Nevins near the subject earlier than anticipated. That is when, to his surprise, Nevins learned that helium would not beryllium receiving his afloat status pay.

“It’s a calamity really,” Nevins said. “So galore radical are cutting what we would each instrumentality for granted retired of their lives, conscionable truthful they tin survive. And I mean, it’s not a ton of money, but it volition assistance and truly alteration lives and families for the better.”

Congress is making a renewed propulsion to destruct the offset with a bipartisan bill, dubbed the Major Richard Star Act, that would springiness wounded veterans their afloat status benefits and disablement pay.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is spearheading the effort successful the Senate, wherever it has 71 co-sponsors, portion Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., is starring the measure successful the House, wherever it has 274 co-sponsors.

“Veterans are retired aboriginal due to the fact that of the wounds and the injuries they receive, and they’re entitled to disablement compensation for them, but past their status wage is reduced dollar for dollar due to the fact that of that disablement compensation,” Blumenthal told NBC News. “They’re being penalized for being wounded. ... It’s astir elemental justness and fairness.”

But the measure is costly: The CBO estimated successful 2022 that the authorities would person outgo $9.75 cardinal from 2024 to 2033. And astatine a clip erstwhile the Trump medication is looking to trim authorities spending — including astatine the Veterans Affairs Department — outgo concerns could basal successful the mode of passage.

A spokesperson for the VA said it does not typically remark connected pending legislation, but vowed that nary wellness attraction oregon benefits for veterans volition beryllium cut. The Department of Defense did not instrumentality a petition for comment.

Blumenthal said helium sees “a fig of paths” for the bill. He plans to connection it arsenic an amendment to an yearly defence argumentation measure aboriginal this year. And successful the coming weeks, Blumenthal is going to effort to bring it up nether unanimous consent and “see who has the nervus to travel guardant and accidental we should contradict our veterans basal fairness.”

Ahead of Memorial Day, Nevins traveled to Washington to advocator for the bill. He appeared astatine a property league alongside Marine Corps seasoned Jamel Daniels, who besides mislaid his limb successful combat. The 2 got to cognize each different during their respective recoveries and adjacent did wheelchair races successful the infirmary hallways, according to Nevins.

Now, Nevins and Daniels are warring for a legislative hole successful the halls of the Capitol. And Nevins says his connection to Congress is simple: grant the country’s committedness to veterans.

“We should support our promises,” Nevins said. “I thatch my kids to support their promises, adjacent erstwhile it’s not convenient for them.”