Read first time 01/27/2003.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, Many American service members have sacrificed their lives for the United States; and
     WHEREAS, Many of these service members have retired from active duty and 28 percent of the retirees were found to be disabled; and
     WHEREAS, Those retired disabled service members are required by law to have their retirement income reduced dollar for dollar to pay their disability compensation; and
     WHEREAS, Retired veterans make up approximately ten percent of all veterans living in this state and the retired disabled veterans make up approximately 36.6 percent of the retired veteran population of this state; and
     WHEREAS, Concurrent receipt of both the retired pay and the disability compensation pay would add financially to the welfare of this state as well as the veterans;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President, in acting upon the recommendations of the National Service Organizations, fund the enacted law for all disabled retired veterans. Your Memorialists further pray that Congress and the President affirm the debt owed these veterans and pass a budget to furnish the veterans their concurrent receipt.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of the United States Department of Defense, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.