[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 10, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H9762-H9764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      VETERANS' COMPENSATION COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 1995

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2394) to increase, effective as of December 1, 1995, the rates of 
compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the 
rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of 
certain disabled veterans.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2394

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-
     of-Living Adjustment Act of 1995''.

     SEC. 2. INCREASE IN RATES OF DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND 
                   DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION.

       (a) Rate Adjustment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall, affective on December 1, 1995, increase the dollar 
     amounts in effect for the payment of disability compensation 
     and dependency and indemnity compensation by the Secretary, 
     as specified in subsection (b).
       (b) Amounts To Be Increased.--The dollar amounts to be 
     increased pursuant to subsection (a) are the following:
       (1) Compensation.--Each of the dollar amounts in effect 
     under section 1114 of title 38, United States Code.
       (2) Additional compensation for dependents.--Each of the 
     dollar amounts in effect under sections 1115(1) of such 
     title.
       (3) Clothing allowance.--The dollar amount in effect under 
     section 1162 of such title.

[[Page H 9763]]

       (4) New dic rates.--The dollar amounts in effect under 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1311(a) of such title.
       (5) Old dic rates.--Each of the dollar amounts in effect 
     under section 1311(a)(3) of such title.
       (6) Additional dic for disability.--The dollar amounts in 
     effect under sections 1311(c) and 1311(d) of such title.
       (7) DIC for dependent children.--The dollar amounts in 
     effect under sections 1313(a) and 1314 of such title.
       (c) Determination of Increase.--The increase under 
     subsection (a) shall be made in the dollar amounts specified 
     in subsection (b) as in effect on November 30, 1995.
       (2) Except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (4), each such 
     amount shall be increased by the same percentage as the 
     percentage by which benefit amounts payable under title II of 
     the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) as increased 
     effective December 1, 1995, as a result of a determination 
     under section 215(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)).
       (3) Each dollar amount increased pursuant to paragraph (2) 
     shall, if not a whole dollar amount, be rounded down to the 
     next lower whole dollar amount.
       (4)(A) The old-law DIC rates shall each be increased by the 
     amount by which the new-law DIC rate is increased as 
     determined under paragraphs (2) and (3).
       (B) For purposes of this paragraph:
       (i) The term ``old-law DIC rates'' means the dollar amounts 
     in effect under section 1311(a)(3)(3) of title 38, United 
     States Code.
       (ii) The term ``new-law DIC rate'' means the dollar amount 
     in effect under section 1311(a)(1) of title 38, United States 
     Code.
       (d) Special Rule.--The Secretary may adjust 
     administratively, consistent with the increases made under 
     subsection (a), the rates of disability compensation payable 
     to persons within the purview of section 10 of Public Law 85-
     857 (72 State. 1263) who are not in receipt of compensation 
     payable pursuant to chapter 11 of title 38, United States 
     Code.
       (e) Publication of Adjusted Rates.--At the same time as the 
     matters specified in section 215(i)(2)(D) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 415(i)(2)(D)) are required to be 
     published by reason of a determination made under section 
     215(i) of such Act during fiscal year 1995, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall publish in the Federal Register the 
     amounts specified in subsection (b), as increased pursuant to 
     subsection (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona [Mr. Stump] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery] will be recognized for 20 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Stump].


                             General Leave

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 2394.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2394, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living 
Adjustment Act of 1995, would authorize the VA to provide the same 
cost-of-living adjustment [COLA] payable to Social Security recipients.
  However, the bill is consistent with the reconciliation 
recommendations recently forwarded by the VA Committee to the Budget 
Committee.
  Those recommendations include rounding down the 1996 COLA to the next 
lower dollar amount for veterans receiving disability compensation and 
dependency and indemnity compensation [DIC] recipients.
  Additionally, the bill would provide an equal COLA to all DIC 
recipients based upon the new flat-rate payment schedule.
  The Congressional Budget Office has indicated the bill reduces direct 
spending under the pay-as-you-go budget rules.
  I believe this bill treats veterans and their survivors fairly while 
complying with the budget resolution, and I urge my colleagues to 
support the bill.
  I want to thank my good friend Sonny Montgomery, the ranking minority 
member of the committee for his assistance on this measure.
  Before yielding to him I also want to thank Terry Everett, chairman 
of the Compensation Subcommittee and Lane Evans, the ranking minority 
member on the subcommittee for their efforts on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Alabama [Mr. Everett] for an explanation of the bill.
  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2394 is a cost of living adjustment 
bill which will increase the rates of compensation for service 
connected disabled veterans along with the rates of dependency and 
indemnity compensation [DIC] for survivors of certain disabled 
veterans. The rate of increase will match that set by the Social 
Security Administration and will become effective on December 1, 1995.
  In 1993, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee approved a measure 
that granted a one-half COLA based on the new-law benefit amount for 
all DIC recipients.
  This year, however, despite some COLA provisions to help meet the 
committee's reconciliation targets, we will be able to improve on OBRA 
93 and give a full rate increase to all DIC recipients based on the 
new-law benefit amount of $790.
  This bill would also provide for a round down to the next lower 
dollar amount for all compensation and DIC benefits when the amount is 
not a whole dollar. While we have not studied all cost of living 
adjustments, according to the congressional research service, a major 
portion of Federal programs made COLA round downs permanent in the 
1980's, including military retirement, aid for dependent children, 
supplemental security income, Social Security, railroad retirement, 
civil service retirement, and food stamps.
  This is a good bill. If the letters from your constituents are 
anything like the ones I have been receiving, you know that a full DIC 
COLA is not something a lot of surviving spouses are expecting. This 
year, the administration's budget request and the budget resolution 
both suggested a half COLA. With a bipartisan effort, we are able to 
provide a full rate increase to help ensure an adequate standard of 
living for the 2.23 million veterans receiving disability compensation, 
in addition to the almost 313,000 surviving spouses and children of our 
veterans whose lives were shortened by service-connected illness or 
injury.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to add to what has been said about my 
good friend the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery]. I came to 
this Congress 2\1/2\ years ago. He was one of the first men I met here. 
I have great admiration for him. I also have many people in my district 
who know him and love him, think the world of him.
  I would just echo what was said. If all Members of this Congress 
operated the way that Sonny Montgomery operates, this Congress would 
have a much different reputation.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Alabama, the chairman 
of the Subcommittee on Compensation, Pension Insurance and Memorial 
Affairs of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for the kindness he 
said. If I have done that well, maybe I should not leave, but I know it 
is time to go.
  I enjoy working with the gentleman from Alabama. Our districts join 
in the two States. We are very close friends. I commend the gentleman 
from being the chairman of the subcommittee and taking an interest in 
the compensation, in working in certain areas that need to be done, 
such as the computer area, which has saved the taxpayers some money. I 
want to commend the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I am in strong support of the last bill on the calendar 
for today, H.R. 2394. It will provide for a cost-of-living adjustment 
for disabled veterans and their survivors.
  The bill, I want to express this, Mr. Speaker, calls for the 
increases to be effective December 1, 1995. It is my understanding also 
that this will be around 3 percent. I wanted to also say that it does 
go and help the disabled veterans. I urge my colleagues to support this 
measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon [Ms. 
Furse].
  Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, this bill we are considering today--to 
provide disabled veterans the same cost-of-living-adjustment as we give 
Social Security recipients--represents one of the most important 
contracts we must honor.
  That contract is the one we have with disabled veterans of our 
military services to enable their COLA's to keep up with the consumer 
price index. In my view, simply keeping up with inflation as this bill 
does, is only a bare minimum of what we owe our disabled veterans. They 
deserve more.

[[Page H 9764]]

  As disabled veterans age, their disabilities often cause problems at 
an increasing rate. Therefore, we absolutely must increase their COLA's 
with the rate of inflation and we really should do more for them.
  I believe our priorities are wrong when we are spending $15 billion 
more on airlift than necessary by buying the enormously expensive C-17 
air cargo plane. Our priorities are wrong when we are signing up for 20 
more B-2 bombers that the Department of Defense does not even want at 
an eventual cost of at least $30 billion.
  Rather than waste more taxpayer dollars on these outmoded cold war 
systems, it is far more important for us to attempt to repay the debt 
we owe our disabled veterans and their survivors. They have made 
tremendous sacrifices on our behalf and we do not do enough for them.
  Before I close, I want to pay tribute to my colleague, Mr. 
Montgomery. He has worked incredibly hard on behalf of our Nation's 
veterans for many, many years. We all appreciate the contributions you 
have made and I look forward to working with you throughout the 
remainder of this Congress.
  I urge my colleagues to support the veterans disability compensation 
cost of living adjustment.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Oregon. She has 
been very supportive of veterans' programs. She has always been there 
when we have asked for her support. She has never voted against one of 
the veterans' bills. I look forward to working with the gentlewoman for 
14, 15 more months. I thank the gentlewoman for talking on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Stump] that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 2394.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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