TANNER HELPS HOUSE PASS
MILITARY FAMILY TAX RELIEF,
WOUNDED WARRIOR PAY

With Congressman John Tanner’s support, the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation Tuesday to offer tax relief to military families and correct a Pentagon policy that takes away wounded warriors’ enlistment bonuses if they are discharged for a service-related injury.

“Our military men and women serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere deserve our full support while they are in harm’s way and afterward,” Tanner said. “Those who have been wounded in service to our country should receive the payment they were promised, and our military and veterans’ families deserve tax relief and assistance in becoming homeowners.”

The House unanimously approved final passage of the following two pieces of legislation and sent them to the President for signature.

The Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act, which ensures veterans who have been discharged due to combat-related injuries will receive their full enlistment bonuses.

The President’s Commission on Care for our Nation’s Returning Wounded Warriors, also known as the Dole-Shalala Commission, reported that a current Department of Defense policy unfairly penalizes veterans who return with combat wounds by withholding their bonuses.

Tanner was an original co-sponsor of the bill.

 The Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act, which: makes several tax relief provisions permanent for military families; helps veterans obtain low-interest loans to become homeowners; and includes tax benefits for other public servants who face risk, including volunteer firefighters and Peace Corps volunteers.

The bill, which originated in the Ways and Means Committee, on which Tanner serves, is fully paid for under the House’s fiscally responsible “pay-as-you-go” rules.

Congressman John Tanner represents Tennessee’s 8^th District in West and Middle Tennessee. A veteran of the U.S. Navy and the Tennessee National Guard, he currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and as chairman of the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

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Contact: Randy Ford, 202.225.4714