[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 25549]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               VETERANS' BENEFITS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2004

  Mr. GRAHAM of Florida. Mr. President, as ranking member of the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am proud to announce the passage of 
S. 2486, the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004, by both 
Chambers of Congress.
  This bill, which I shall call the compromise agreement, is the final 
version of a veterans omnibus bill. The compromise agreement will 
improve and expand a host of veterans benefits, including: survivors 
benefits for spouses with dependent children; housing benefits; and 
educational benefits for Guard and Reserve members, veterans, and 
spouses of veterans killed on active duty.
  It is very appropriate that at a time when our airmen, soldiers, 
sailors and marines are in harm's way, that we remember the sacrifices 
that those before them have made on behalf of this great Nation by 
improving and expanding veterans benefits for our Nation's bravest and 
their families.
  I will briefly highlight some of the more important provisions. For 
further explanation of the proposed legislation please see the Joint 
Explanatory Statement, which accompanied the passage of the bill.
  Dependency and indemnity compensation is a monthly benefit paid to 
eligible survivors of service members who died on active duty, and of 
certain veterans. A larger monthly benefit is paid to surviving spouses 
with children under the age of 18. Under this legislation, dependency 
and indemnity compensation for survivors, with dependent children, of 
spouses killed on active duty would be increased by $250 a month, for 2 
years, beginning on the date when entitlement to benefits begins. A VA 
contracted study found that spouses with children had a higher level of 
unmet need than spouses without children. This provision is included to 
further aid the transition of surviving spouses with dependent 
children. We must make every effort to make certain that the families 
of service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice have their needs 
met.
  Owning a home of one's own is the American Dream. This legislation 
would make that dream a reality for more of our veterans by increasing 
the maximum amount of the VA home loan guaranty. The current VA loan 
limit of $240,000 restricts beneficiaries from using the guaranty 
because it is insufficient to cover median housing prices in many parts 
of the Nation. Section 403 of the compromise agreement would increase 
the maximum VA loan amount to $333,700. It would also index the loan 
limit to 25 percent of the conforming loan limit for a single-family 
residence as set by Freddie Mac. This would allow the loan limit to 
continue to rise with the cost of housing inflation automatically. This 
change, coupled with the reinstatement of the VA adjustable rate 
mortgage loan program and improvement of the hybrid adjustable rate 
mortgage loan program will allow many more veterans to be able to 
purchase a home.
  The second half of the American Dream is a college education. 
Educational assistance is provided to the surviving spouse of a service 
member or veteran who died of a service-connected injury, or the spouse 
of a veteran who is rated by VA to be totally and permanently disabled. 
The spouse has 10 years to use the entitlement. However, many surviving 
spouses, during this difficult transitional period, are busy raising 
children and working making it impossible to use the education benefit. 
This legislation would give an additional 10 years to the surviving 
spouse of a service member who died of a service-connected disability 
to use the benefit.
  Under current law, a member of the Selected Reserve or National Guard 
must contribute a nonrefundable $1,200 in order to participate in the 
Montgomery GI Bill education program. However, a member of the Selected 
Reserve must spend one year on active duty before being eligible for 
the program. Section 109 of the committee bill would create flexibility 
and allow the Montgomery GI Bill participation fee to be collected not 
later than 1 year after the completion of 2 years of active duty, 
ensuring that the Reserve or Guard has become eligible by satisfying 
the service requirement.
  With the costs of attending college rising, it is important that we 
do as much for our veterans as possible so that they may reach their 
academic objectives. This legislation would allow VA to reimburse 
eligible beneficiaries for the cost of certain national admission 
tests, such as the Law School Admission Test, Graduate Record Exam, 
Graduate Management Admission Test, and Scholastic Aptitude Test, and 
for course credit at institutions of higher learning, such as the 
Advanced Placement Exam and College-Level Examination Program.
  In keeping with this committee's continuing effort to aid veterans in 
attaining appropriate education and employment opportunities, this 
legislation improves the full-time apprenticeship and on-job training 
programs under the MGIB. Section 103 of the compromise agreement, for 
more than a 2-year period, would increase the full-time VA monthly 
educational assistance allowance payable to individuals participating 
in these training programs. For the first 6 months of training, the 
monthly benefit would increase to 85 percent from 75 percent; for the 
second 6 months, 65 percent from 55 percent; and the remainder of 
months, 45 percent from 35 percent. Additionally, section 104 of the 
compromise agreement authorizes VA to pay educational benefits to 
veterans participating in competency-based apprenticeships, in addition 
to time-based apprenticeships, bringing the VA program in line with the 
way most apprenticeship programs are structured today.
  These provisions show our veterans America's continuing unwavering 
support of the service and sacrifice that they have made on behalf of 
this country. Particularly at a time when we are at war, we must ensure 
our service members that we will fulfill the commitment promised by 
Abraham Lincoln, ``to care for him that shall have borne the battle and 
for his widow and his orphan.''
  In conclusion, I specifically thank Senator Specter and his benefits 
staff for their work on this comprehensive bill, specifically Bill 
Tuerk, Jon Towers and Chris McNamee, and my staff--Buddy Menn, Mary 
Schoelen, Dahlia Melendrez, Ted Pusey, Amanda Krohn, and Tandy Barrett, 
who recently left the committee, for all of their hard work in helping 
to put this legislation together. I thank my colleagues for their 
support of this legislation on behalf of America's veterans and their 
families.

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