The Supreme Court on Thursday <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-320_m648.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unanimously ruled</a> that disabled veterans were entitled to retroactive compensation.
The case, Soto v. United States, began as a class action lawsuit led by Simon Soto, who served in the Marines for six years until he was medically retired. Soto served for part of this time in Mortuary Affairs, where he was “assigned to ‘search for, recover, and process the remains’ of war casualties.’” He struggled to return to civil life and was later diagnosed with a 100% disability rating for post-traumatic stress disorder by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), signifying “[t]otal occupational and social impairment.”
Soto applied for combat-related special compensation (CRSC), which is intended to offset the portion of retirement pay veterans are required to waive in order to receive disability benefits from the VA. Originally available only to veterans with 20 or more years of service, Congress extended special compensation to all veterans in 2008.
Soto applied for CRSC in 2016, and was found eligible. The government gave him retroactive compensation for his waived retirement pay, but capped it at six years, citing the Barring Act, which “subjects most claims to a six-year limitations period.” But the Barring Act also said that if “another law” allows the government to adjudicate settlements with the government, the six-year ceiling is not applicable.
Soto filed a class action lawsuit with other veterans whose compensation was limited under the Barring Act. They argued that the combat-related special compensation falls under the Barring Act’s loophole for superseding laws. The government argued that the statute establishing combat-related special compensation lacked the “specific language” needed to establish this.
A district court ruled in favor of Soto, and a federal circuit ruled in favor of the government, sending the case to the Supreme Court.
Justice Clarence Thomas delivered the opinion of the court, which emphasized that Congress isn’t limited by specific language arguments.
“As this Court has repeatedly explained, Congress &#8216;need not state its intent in any particular way,” and &#8216;[w]e have never required that Congress use magic words.&#8217;”
The Court ruled that there is sufficient basis for “another law” in the combat-related special compensation statute, ultimately deciding that Soto and his fellow veterans, whom they described as a “group of exceptionally deserving claimants”, can receive full disability compensation for their service.

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Senator Josh Hawley joined with a Democrat colleague on Tuesday to introduce a bill that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15.
&#8220;For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline,” the Missouri Republican told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/josh-hawley-raise-federal-minimum-wage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News.</a> “One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hard-working Americans every day.”
Along with Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), Hawley introduced the Higher Wages for American Workers Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour, where it’s been since 2009. The bill would also provide a tax credit for workers making under minimum wage.
&#8220;We&#8217;re in the midst of a severe affordability crisis, with families in red and blue states alike struggling to afford necessities like housing and groceries,&#8221; Hawley said. &#8220;Every hard-working American deserves a living wage that helps put a roof over their head and food on the table — $7.25 an hour doesn&#8217;t even come close.&#8221;
Hawley is the latest Republican lawmaker to challenge his party’s economic orthodoxy. But it’s unclear if Hawley’s colleagues will throw their support behind his effort. In 2021, every Republican Senator voted against a <a href="https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-world/senators-vote-15-dollar-minimum-wage/507-ca50e569-4757-4bed-a13f-f687853c85c0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal</a> to institute a $15 minimum wage. Conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation have <a href="https://www.heritage.org/jobs-and-labor/commentary/increasing-the-minimum-wage-comes-too-high-price-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">historically opposed</a> minimum wage hikes.
Opposition is already mounting against Hawley’s proposal.
“Sen. Hawley should know better,”<a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/workforce/republican-senator-wants-more-double-federal-minimum-wage"> said</a> Rebekah Paxton, research director at the Employment Policies Institute. “This proposal would more than double the minimum wage and slash over 800,000 jobs.”
“Hawley’s proposal would take similar failed policies like California’s and export them nationwide,” Paxton <a href="https://fox59.com/news/national-world/federal-minimum-wage-would-rise-to-15-under-sen-hawley-bill/">continued</a>.
California recently raised the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 an hour — a policy that has caused restaurants to cut staff and reduce hours, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/california-restaurants-cut-jobs-as-fast-food-wages-set-to-rise-eb5ddaaa?mod=hp_lead_pos4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Wall Street Journal.
At least one Senate Republican has already come out against Hawley’s proposal.
“I don&#8217;t even know why we have a &#8216;federal minimum wage&#8217; to be honest,&#8221; Sen. Kevin Cramer (ND) <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/1932443558260138493" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in an interview</a> with Fox Business today. “I think the market works really well,” he said, adding, “I just think manipulating markets with mandatory wages doesn&#8217;t make any sense.&#8221;

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