Durbin Secures Victories for Illinois Veterans in Spending Bill

DURBIN SECURES VICTORIES FOR ILLINOIS VETERANS IN SPENDING BILL

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that he was pleased that two provisions he authored to assist veterans were included in the final version of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Conference Report which was passed by the Senate today. Illinois' junior senator, Barack Obama (D-IL), was a cosponsor of both provisions.

The first provision will prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from proceeding with a review of the 72,000 cases where veterans receive the maximum amount of the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) disability compensation until the department presents Congress with a detailed report. Most importantly, the provision prevents the VA from cutting veterans' benefits as a result of this review, unless there is evidence of fraud.

Earlier this month, the VA had announced that it had suspended such a review after pressure from Durbin and Obama, who expressed concern that veterans will face cuts in benefits and services.

"This is a victory for veterans in Illinois suffering from PTSD. Veterans suffering from mental or emotional problems should not have to suffer through the stress of an ill-advised review of their cases years after the fact," said Durbin.

The second provision will require the VA to notify veterans living in states such as Illinois with below-average disability compensation about the history of past under-compensation. The information campaign will be conducted in states whose average annual disability compensation payment was less than $7,300. In 2003, Illinois veterans received an average of $6,802. The information campaign will provide veterans living in these states with instructions for submitting new claims and requesting reviews.

"Americans have a fundamental dedication to fairness," Durbin said. "This provision will help restore a level of fairness that Americans expect for our disabled veterans. Disabled veterans should not receive different amounts of disability payments based on where they live."

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=249172&&