OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Providing Benefits Information in Spanish and Tagalog for Veterans and Families Act

Floor Speech

Date: July 23, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Veterans

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Mr. CISNEROS. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Takano for his leadership on this issue and for working with me to ensure this bill passed out of committee on a bipartisan basis. I also thank the gentleman from Florida for his support on this bill.

Madam Speaker, it is an honor to rise today to ask my colleagues for their support on my bill, H.R. 2943, the Providing Benefits Information in Spanish and Tagalog for Veterans and Families Act.

So many veterans have come from Puerto Rico, as well as the Philippines. The VA actually does have a hospital both in Puerto Rico and in the Philippines. This legislation would direct the VA Secretary to make all Department of Veterans Affairs fact sheets available in English, Spanish, and Tagalog.

According to the U.S. Census, as of July 1, 2017, the U.S. Hispanic population is approximately 59 million people, making up 18 percent of the Nation's total population, making people of Hispanic origin the Nation's largest ethnic or racial minority. The U.S. Census has also reported that Filipino Americans make up the third-largest AAPI subgroup, with an estimated 4 million people living in the United States.

With those changing demographics trending toward a more racially and ethnically diverse majority, the veteran population is diversifying at similar rates. The share of veterans who are Hispanic is expected to nearly double.

During my time in service, many of my proud brothers and sisters in arms were of Filipino descent.

With Spanish and Tagalog as the first language of an increasing number of veterans and their families, and our significant strategic national security footprint in Puerto Rico and the Philippines, it is important that fact sheets offered by the VA are made available to everyone.

This bill would serve as an initial step in ensuring veterans and their families with limited English proficiency have full access and information on VA services, without burden or barriers.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of my bill to ensure we do not overlook veterans and their families who may need these important fact sheets.

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