[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 67 (Wednesday, May 22, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        VETERANS' AND SURVIVORS' BENEFITS EXPANSION ACT OF 2002

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 20, 2002

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my support for 
H.R. 4085, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 
2002. Our federal policy towards veterans recognizes the importance of 
their service to our nation. The Department of Veterans Affairs 
administers, directly or in conjunction with other federal agencies, 
programs that provide compensation for disabilities sustained or 
worsened as a result of active duty in military service. The VA also 
provides pensions for totally disabled, poor war veterans. Furthermore, 
the VA offers cash payments for certain categories of dependents and/or 
survivors. The VA gives free medical care for conditions sustained 
during military service, and medical care for other conditions, much of 
which is provided free to low income veterans.
  In addition, the Department of Veteran Affairs supplies education, 
training, rehabilitation, and job placement services to assist veterans 
upon their return to civilian life. The VA also administers loan 
guarantees to help them obtain homes. Moreover, the VA provides life 
insurance to enhance the veteran's financial security for their 
dependents, and burial assistance to the families of veterans when they 
die. Thus, the VA does a lot to enhance the lives of our veterans.
  The responsibility to care for veterans, their spouses, their 
survivors and their dependents can last a long time. An example of this 
is that the last dependent of a Revolutionary War veteran died in 1911, 
and the last dependent of a veteran of the War of 1812 died in 1946, 
and the last dependent of a veteran of the Mexican War in 1962. 
Subsequently, about 650 children and widows of Spanish-American War 
veterans still receive VA compensation or pensions.
  This bill contains provisions that would affect a wide range of 
veterans' programs, including disability compensation, dependency and 
indemnity compensation, housing, insurance, and readjustment benefits. 
This bill also provides an annual cost-of-living increase for veterans' 
benefits, and expands certain benefits for veterans and their 
survivors.
  Accordingly, this bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
increase the rates of veterans' disability compensation, as of December 
1, 2002. This cost of living increase gives veterans a 2.6% increase. 
This matches the automatic increases received by most federal benefit 
programs. This is important, because we should not burden our veterans 
financially.
  The bill also adds additional compensation for dependents, the 
clothing allowance for certain disabled adult children, and dependency 
and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.
  The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would increase direct 
spending by $25 million in 2003, $123 million over the 2003-2007 
period, and $260 million over the 2003-2012 period, but the CBO 
estimates that any such outlays would be insignificant because it takes 
the Department of Veterans Affairs several months to process most 
benefit claims.
  Therefore, I support our veterans and strongly support this bill to 
increase compensation to our veterans.

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