When Army veteran Dan Nevins was medically forced to retire from the military after losing both legs in the battle, he thought he would be economically cared for by the country he served.
But Nevins soon discovered what is known as the “injured veterans tax.” This is an informal term of office in a federal policy that prohibits certain injured veterans from receiving both full retirement benefits and disability compensation.
“I was told I couldn’t take both,” Nevins told NBC News in an interview. “And I said, ‘Wait a second. That’s not what I thought would happen.’
Army veteran Dan Nevins traveled to the U.S. Capitol on May 21, 2025, and promoted a law that would allow veterans to receive full retirement benefits and disability compensation. (Frank Thorpe v/nbc news)
According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, it affects around 50,000 veterans, each costing around $1,900 per month.
Under current federal policies, veterans with services under 20 years and disability ratings under 50% will be taken from retirement with every disability compensation they receive. Disability assessments are assigned by the Department of Veterans Affairs to assess how much an injury or disability affects a veteran’s health and functioning ability.
And now Nevins is pushing Washington lawmakers to change that.
In 2004, when Nevins was deployed to Iraq as the squad leader, an explosive device that exploded under his car exploded. The explosion kills his platoon sergeant, and eventually he is injured, causing both Nevin’s legs to be amputated under the knee.
“People say it when your life is about to follow a flash of light in front of you. It was really not my experience. It was like a slideshow that was left untouched,” said Nevins, who wears a bracelet every day to honor his platoon sergeant.
“The last vision, it was my 10-year-old daughter, but she was all grown up, dressed with her white head and toes, walking down the aisle without her dad. And I said, “I’m alive. I have to do something to keep it as is.”
After a painful and long recovery process, including 36 surgeries and an 18-month stay at Walter Reed Hospital, Nevins began living his life again. This included learning several new skills, including becoming a certified yoga instructor.
However, due to his injuries, Nevins left the army earlier than expected. To his surprise, Nevins learns that he will not receive a full retirement allowance.
“It’s a real tragedy,” Nevins said. “So many people are cutting out what we all take for granted from their lives, so that they can survive. And while it’s not a lot of money, it helps and really changes life and family for better.”
Congress is making a new push to eliminate offsets in a bipartisan bill that calls the main Richard Star Act, which gives injured veterans full retirement benefits and disability salaries.
Senator Richard Blumenthal is at the forefront of an effort in the Senate, which has 71 co-sponsors, but R-Fla. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is leading the bill in the House of Representatives, which has 274 co-sponsors.
“Veterans will retire early due to injuries and injuries they have suffered, and they are entitled to compensation for disability against them, but their retirement benefits will be reduced in dollars for that disability compensation,” Blumenthal told NBC News. “They are being punished for being injured… that’s about simple justice and fairness.”
However, the bill is costly. In 2022, the CBO estimated that the law would cost $9.75 billion between 2024 and 2033. Concerns could pass at a time when the Trump administration is trying to cut government spending, including in the Veterans Affairs Division.
A VA spokesman said he had not commented on the usually pending law, but vowed that veterans’ health care and benefits would not be cut. The Department of Defense did not reply to a request for comment.
Blumenthal said it is looking at “many paths” in the bill. He plans to offer it as an amendment to the annual Defense Policy Bill later this year. And in the coming weeks, Blumenthal will try to nurture it with unanimous consent, saying “who has the nerve to move forward should see and deny the basic fairness of veterans.”
Prior to Memorial Day, Nevins traveled to Washington to defend the bill. He appeared at a press conference alongside Marine Corps veteran Jamel Daniels. According to Nevins, the two knew each other during their recovery and even raced wheelchairs in the hospital corridors.
Now, Nevins and Daniels are fighting for legislative amendments in the Capitol Hall. And Nevins says his message to Congress is simple: respect the nation’s commitment to veterans.
“We should keep our promises,” Nevins said. “I teach them to keep their promises even when it’s convenient for them.”
This story first appeared on nbcnews.com. More from NBC News:
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