Senator restarts stalled benefits bill

[unhappycamper]

Senator restarts stalled benefits bill
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Mar 10, 2008 6:00:36 EDT

The top Republican on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee proposes jump-starting a stalled veterans benefits bill by reducing a promised pension for World War II Filipino veterans and using the money to improve benefits for combat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The proposal from Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., has been endorsed by the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization representing new combat veterans, but is opposed by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman, who has been pushing for the improved Filipino pensions.

Akaka’s bill, S 1315, which passed the committee last year, would provide pensions to Filipino veterans who served alongside U.S. troops in World War II. Those living outside the U.S. would receive up to $4,500 a year if married and $3,600 if single under the pension proposal. Pensions were to begin May 1 under the plan, which was delayed once it passed the Veterans’ Affairs Committee because of opposition to the Filipino benefits.

“These veterans have been denied these benefits for over 50 years. ... I believe it is time to give these elderly veterans the benefits that they earned and so richly deserve,” Akaka said. “In the 62 years since the end of the Second World War, Filipino veterans have worked tirelessly to secure the veterans status they were promised when they agreed to fight under U.S. command during World War II.”

The Filipino pensions are “wrong and costly,” Burr said. “It is wrong because it takes money from American veterans and sends it to the Philippines to create a special pension for non-citizen, nonresident Filipino veterans with no service-connected disabilities.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/military_vetbennies_030808w/

[rpannier]

1. THat tax cut for the wealthy would go a long way toward finding funds for both groups

as well as for
children
the working poor
universal health care
heating aid
etcetera
etcetera
etcetera