Image: Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., provided the 218th signature for the discharge petition on Tuesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Rebecca Kheel of Roll Call reports: “House Democrats will be able to force a vote to bring a long-stalled veterans benefits bill to the floor after securing 218 signatures on a discharge petition.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., signed the petition Tuesday night, giving it the magic number needed to be successful.

“Thank you @RepNancyMace for joining the right side of this fight for the 59,000 combat injured veterans who have waited long enough,” House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Democrats posted on social media. “We now have 218 signatures on the discharge petition for the Major Richard Star Act — a majority of the House has spoken. @SpeakerJohnson must schedule a vote.”

At issue is the Major Richard Star Act. The bill would allow more combat-injured veterans to collect the full amounts of both their military retirement pay and their Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits. Right now, the retirement pay is offset a dollar for every dollar of disability pay for most veterans who were forced to retire early from the military because of combat injuries…”

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