We are calling on the United States Congress and the President to pass legislation establishing a permanent, standalone monthly honorary pension for all living recipients of the Purple Heart, structured in the same spirit as the Medal of Honor.

To the United States Congress and the President of the United States:

The Purple Heart is America’s oldest military decoration, instituted by General George Washington to honor those who shed their blood or sacrificed their health in defense of our nation. It is not an award given for doing a job; it is a solemn distinction earned exclusively through combat wounds sustained at the hands of an enemy.
Yet, despite the unique and lifelong burden carried by combat-wounded veterans, the federal government does not provide a direct, standalone monthly stipend to honor the Purple Heart itself.
Recently, Congress overwhelmingly passed the MEDAL Act, recognizing that our nation's highest heroes face unique lifelong public burdens. That legislation quadrupled the Medal of Honor special pension to a flat **$5,625 a month** ($67,500 annually). This stipend is awarded purely as an honorarium—a token of the nation's profound gratitude—regardless of injury, rank, or financial status.
By contrast, a combat-wounded Marine, Soldier, Sailor, or Airman receives no such honorary recognition. Instead, they are routed entirely through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability system—a system designed strictly to compensate for lost earning capacity based on physical impairment, not to honor combat sacrifice.
This creates a fundamental injustice:
 * **Conflating Compensation with Honor:** VA disability compensation is a medical necessity based on the severity of a physical or mental impairment. It is not an honorarium for combat service. A Purple Heart recipient who pushes through their injuries to continue working receives zero unique national tokens for the blood they spilled.
 * **The Inequity of Bureaucracy:** Two service members can suffer the exact same injury—one from a training accident stateside and one from an enemy Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) in a combat zone. While both receive VA medical care, the nation fails to financially distinguish, elevate, or respect the veteran who faced down the enemies of the United States.
 * **The Standalone Precedent:** If this nation can rightfully find the budget to provide a $5,625 monthly pension to honor valor, it can no longer use "budget constraints" as an excuse to ignore the hundreds of thousands of veterans who carry the physical scars of defending our freedom.
We reject the argument that funding a Purple Heart pension is too expensive. If this nation has the budget to deploy troops into harm's way, it must have the budget to properly honor them when they return broken.
**Our Request:**
We demand that Congress introduce and pass legislation to establish a permanent **Purple Heart Combat Pension**. This stipend should be distributed monthly to all living Purple Heart recipients, independent of and in addition to any earned VA disability compensation, military retirement, or Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC).
It is time to bridge the gap between rhetoric and action. If we truly honor the blood spilled for our freedom, we must codify that honor with the financial respect it demands.
**Sign this petition to tell Congress: Honor the Purple Heart with a standalone monthly pension. Blood spilled in combat demands national recognition, not just a ribbon.**