[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 5, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S622-S623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           DISABLED VETERANS

  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, this week the Senate will hopefully begin 
debate on an economic stimulus package. Front and center in the debate 
will be how we balance the need to get our economy going while once 
again addressing issues that revolve around the national debt. I hope 
there is one thing this body will agree on unanimously, that we must 
not forget America's disabled veterans in the debate. Earlier today I 
heard Members on the floor talk about pet projects. Veterans issues are 
an important project to me, and I will not forget about disabled vets 
as we move forward with this economic stimulus package.
  There are about 2.8 million vets who receive some form of disability 
through the VA. The good news is that most of these folks hold down 
other employment and would get a tax rebate through the House's 
economic stimulus bill. But for another 250,000 disabled vets who have 
no other income other than their veterans disability benefit and maybe 
a Social Security disability check, they would get absolutely nothing 
from the House bill, not one red cent.
  Let me say that again: The bill proposed by the House and by 
President Bush would not give a quarter of a million disabled veterans 
one nickel. That is simply wrong.
  Under the leadership of Senator Baucus, the Senate Finance package 
corrects that error. It would ensure that the folks who were injured in 
the cause of defending our freedom are able to get something back.

  I assure my colleagues that these veterans feel the pinch of higher 
gas prices, heating costs, and everything else in between, just as much 
as any other household struggling on a fixed income. The difference is 
that these folks have worn the colors of our country. They have 
defended this country. The way we treat those who have fought for our 
freedom and our Nation says a great deal about our society because when 
it comes to veterans, we are not talking about a handout, we are 
talking about a country honoring our promise we have made to our 
service men and women.
  I wish to take a minute to read a letter I received recently from 
Warren Matte, a veteran from Harlem, MT. Here is what he says:

       For those of us who are combat veterans and poor people, we 
     are now and have been in a recession for a good numbers of 
     years. We are on the bottom rung of the ladder, and it looks 
     like we will always be there. Some of us are surviving on VA 
     benefits and Social Security. The long distances we have to 
     travel here in Montana and the high cost of living is keeping 
     us in poverty. There are 500,000 homeless veterans in this 
     great Nation and no one cares. We put our lives on the line 
     so everyone can be free and live the good life, and no one 
     cares what happens to us and our families.

  When our combat veterans are using phrases such as ``the bottom rung 
of the ladder,'' I think we can do better than that. When disabled 
veterans worry that ``no one cares,'' we must do better than that.
  This Finance Committee bill is a step in the right direction. So I 
urge my colleagues, no matter what else you may think of the stimulus 
package, do not forget about the Warren Mattes of the world. Do not 
forget about our disabled veterans.
  I have been in this body for a little over 1 year. I can tell my 
colleagues that from my perspective, the Senate is an easy place to 
stop things. If you choose, you can stop any piece of legislation from 
moving forward.
  I think the House stimulus package is a good stimulus package, but it 
can be made a whole lot better, and we need to make it a whole lot 
better. For the 250,000 disabled vets, for the 2.5 million seniors, for 
those folks who need unemployment benefits, for those folks who need 
assistance with their heating bills, we need to make it better.
  I am not sure this economic stimulus bill will get us out of the 
economic stresses we feel right now in this country, but I can tell my 
colleagues one thing: If we don't address the issues that revolve 
around the people I just talked about--the disabled vets, the seniors, 
the folks who need help with their heating, the folks who need 
unemployment benefits--we are making a huge mistake.

[[Page S623]]

  We ought not to be stopping with this bill. We ought to be making it 
better in the Senate and passing it on for the President to sign it. We 
ought to be stamping it with our approval.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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