[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H9405-H9406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                MEDAL OF HONOR SPECIAL PENSION INCREASE

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6980) to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal 
of Honor special pension provided under that title by up to $1,000.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6980

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

     SECTION 1. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
                   INCREASE MEDAL OF HONOR SPECIAL PENSION.

       (a) Authority To Increase Rate of Special Pension.--
     Subsection (a) of section 1562 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(a)''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(2)(A) Subject to the availability of appropriations for 
     this purpose in advance in an appropriations Act, the 
     Secretary may increase the rate of the special pension 
     otherwise in effect under paragraph (1) by not more than 
     $1,000.
       ``(B) The Secretary may not increase the rate of a special 
     pension under subparagraph (A) after the Secretary has 
     expended all the funds specifically provided for such purpose 
     in an appropriations Act.
       ``(C) The authority under subparagraph (A) expires on 
     September 30, 2013.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Subsection (f)(1) of such 
     section is amended by striking ``this section'' and inserting 
     ``subsection (a)(1)''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Filner) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 
Brown) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, since this bill was brought to us by the 
distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), I would like 
to have him explain the bill and make sure everybody knows how 
important it is. We thank him for bringing us this legislation.
  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my support of H.R. 
6980, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase 
the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that 
title by up to $1,000.
  It is with great satisfaction that I stand before you today, to 
further honor our military heroes who have already received our 
Nation's highest recognition and praise--those who have been awarded 
the Medal of Honor. With this bill, we honor those heroes with our 
financial support, because they were willing to defend our country with 
their lives.
  The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest award for bravery and 
military valor that can be bestowed upon any servicemember in the 
military. It is presented by the President of the United States in the 
name of Congress.
  The Medal of Honor was established by a joint resolution of Congress 
in 1862 and was first presented during the Civil War. It is bestowed on 
a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself 
``. . . conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his 
life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action 
against an enemy of the United States . . .'' Because of its nature, 
awards of the medal are frequently made posthumously.
  The Medal of Honor confers special privileges on those who receive 
it, both by tradition and by law. By tradition, all other soldiers, 
sailors, marines, and airmen--even higher-ranking officers up to the 
President of the United States--who are not also recipients of the 
Medal of Honor, must salute the recipient.
  By law each recipient of the Medal may have their name placed on the 
Medal of Honor Roll. Each person whose name appears on the Medal of 
Honor Roll is certified by the United States Department of Veterans 
Affairs as being entitled to receive a special pension.
  The current rate of that pension is just over $1,100 monthly . . . 
less than $14,000 annually. I believe, and I think every other American 
will back me in this, that we have to do better in honoring our heroes.
  H.R. 6980 will increase the rate of the special pension for 
recipients of the Medal of Honor by up to $1,000. I believe that we 
should do more . . . but I recognize that this is the best we can do 
now!
  Madam Speaker, yesterday we passed a bill for a one time payment to 
Filipino Veterans of World War II that I don't believe went far enough. 
Today, we'll pass this bill in support of our Nation's highest 
decorated heroes . . . and sadly . . . it too won't go far enough.
  As we, as a Congress and as a Nation, focus on our veterans, 
particularly our newest veterans from OEF and OIF, we must also 
remember and never forget our heroes of previous wars. We owe to them 
all a debt of gratitude, and certainly to those who earned our Nation's 
highest honor every financial benefit we can bestow.
  Today, by passing H.R. 6980, we once again recognize our military 
heroes, this time with financial support, and we tell them that we will 
never forget their bravery.
  Madam Speaker, I urge the support of all my colleagues.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 
6980, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase 
the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that 
title by up to $1,000.
  I especially want to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer 
for working with me on this legislation, and to thank Chairman Michaud 
for joining me in introducing the original version of this legislation, 
H.R. 1137.
  Madam Speaker, the Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration 
awarded by the United States of America. It is awarded ``for 
conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and 
beyond the call of duty, in actual combat against an armed enemy 
force.''
  Since its initial presentation in 1863 to Private Jacob Parrott, 
3,448 Americans have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Today's 
legislation is important, but I want to spend most of my time talking 
about the heroes who have received this honor.
  Today there are 100 living recipients of the Medal of Honor. The 
average age of a living recipient is 74 years of age, and 47 percent of 
recipients earned their medals more than 50 years ago while serving in 
World War II and in Korea. The oldest living recipient, John W. Finn, 
is 99 years old. He received his medal for manning a 50-caliber gun in 
an exposed position, while wounded, during much of the attack on Pearl 
Harbor. In addition to Mr. Finn, 34 other recipients are veterans from 
World War II.
  Sixty living recipients of the Medal of Honor earned their medals 
while serving in Vietnam, including a good friend of mine from my 
congressional district, General James Livingston. Another recipient of 
the Medal of Honor, Frank Curry, also lives in my district and is a 
veteran of World War II. The Congressional Medal of Honor Museum, 
located on the hangar deck of the USS Yorktown in Charleston, South 
Carolina, serves as both a memorial to the heroic acts of the Medal of 
Honor recipients and a way to educate the public on their extraordinary 
service to their country.
  The most recent Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously on June 5, 
2008, to Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis, a member of the U.S. 
Army recognized for his service in Iraq. On December 4, 2006, Mr. 
McGinnis' platoon was on patrol when an insurgent threw a grenade into 
his HUMVEE. Although Private McGinnis could have escaped, he threw 
himself on top of the grenade, pinning it between himself and the radio 
mount and saving his fellow soldiers in the HUMVEE. Private McGinnis is 
the fourth Medal of Honor recipient from Operations Iraqi Freedom and 
Enduring Freedom. Navy SEAL Master-at-Arms Michael A. Monsoor and 
Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, as well as Marine Corporal

[[Page H9406]]

Jason L. Dunham, were all posthumous recipients of the Medal of Honor 
for their incredible bravery in service to our country and their fellow 
men in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  In recognition of their exceptional service, Medal of Honor 
recipients are entitled to a special pension, as first authorized by 
Congress in 1916. Currently, the 100 living recipients received an 
inflation-adjusted $1,000 per month. H.R. 6980 will increase the base 
payment to $2,000 per month, subject to appropriations. This benefit 
will act as the smallest token of appreciation to people who have shown 
the greatest possible devotion to their fellow soldiers and to their 
country.
  Madam Speaker, this legislation would not have come to the floor 
today without the support of my good friends, Chairman Filner, Ranking 
Member Buyer and Chairman Michaud.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 6980.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FILNER. I urge my colleagues to unanimously support this very 
important legislation, H.R. 6980.
  Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6980, a bill to 
amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special 
pension provided under that title by up to $1,000.
  The Medal of Honor is the Nation's highest award for military valor. 
It is presented by the President in the name of Congress, and is often 
called the Congressional Medal of Honor. Since its first presentation 
in 1863, over 3,467 Medals of Honor have been awarded to a total of 
3,448 individuals (there have been 19 double recipients).
  Under current law, a veteran who has been awarded a Medal of Honor is 
eligible for a monthly pension ($1,129 as of December 1, 2007). 
Eligibility for the pension is based solely on receipt of the Medal of 
Honor, and the recipient of the Medal of Honor must elect to receive 
the special pension. Receipt of this pension does not reduce any other 
benefits under U.S. law, and a veteran who has received more than one 
Medal of Honor is limited to receiving only one Medal of Honor pension 
benefit.
  The legislation before us would increase the rate of this special 
pension by not more than $1,000, subject to appropriations. In an 
informal estimate provided to my office, the total cost of this bill 
would be $6 million over 5 years. The authority provided to the 
Secretary to expend the funds provided for this purposes would expire 
on September 30, 2013. After expending any funds appropriated for this 
purpose, the Secretary would not be authorized to further increase the 
rate of the special monthly pension.
  Madam Speaker, over the years, it has been the honor of the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs to name facilities after a number of Medal of 
Honor recipients, many of whom have passed on, but 100 still remain 
with us and walk as humble heroes among a grateful people. We can never 
thank these heroes enough for all they have given to protect our 
freedom and security. The special pension increase seems like a small 
amount compared to the price these warriors have paid.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. FILNER. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6980.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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