[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 16176]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      VETERANS' COMPENSATION COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2010

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 550, S. 3107.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will state the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3107) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
     provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2010, in 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, 
     and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today, as chairman of the Senate Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs, I urge all of my colleagues to support S. 3107/
H.R. 4667, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 
2010. This measure would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
increase, effective December 1, 2010, the rates of veterans' 
compensation to keep pace with the rising cost of living in this 
country. The rate adjustment is equal to that provided on an annual 
basis to Social Security recipients and is based on the Consumer Price 
Index.
  Congress regularly enacts legislation that would provide for a cost-
of-living adjustment for veterans' compensation in order to ensure that 
inflation does not erode the purchasing power of the veterans and their 
families who depend upon this income to meet their daily needs. The 
2011 COLA has not yet been determined.
  The COLA affects, among other benefits, veterans' disability 
compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving 
spouses and children. Many of the recipients of those benefits depend 
upon these tax-free payments not only to provide for their own basic 
needs, but those of their spouses and children as well. Without a COLA 
increase, these veterans and their families would see the value of 
their hard-earned benefits slowly diminish if there was an increase in 
inflation. If there is an increase in inflation, we in Congress would 
be neglecting our duty to ensure that those who sacrificed so much for 
this country receive the benefits and services to which they are 
entitled.
  It is important that we view veterans' compensation, including the 
COLA, and indeed all benefits earned by veterans, as a continuing cost 
of war. It is clear that the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan 
will continue to result in injuries and disabilities that will yield an 
increase in claims for compensation. Currently, there are more than 3.1 
million veterans in receipt of VA disability compensation.
  Disbursement of disability compensation to our Nation's veterans 
constitutes one of the central missions of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. It is a necessary measure of appreciation afforded to those 
veterans whose lives were forever altered by their service to this 
country.
  I urge our colleagues to support passage of this COLA bill. I also 
ask our colleagues for their continued support for our Nation's 
veterans.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read the third time; that the Veterans Affairs Committee be discharged 
from further consideration of H.R. 4667, which is the companion measure 
from the House, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; 
that the bill, H.R. 4667, be read the third time and passed; further, 
that S. 3107 be returned to the calendar; that the motions to 
reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate, 
and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was ordered to a third reading and was read the third time.
  The bill (H.R. 4667) was ordered to be read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed.

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