Veterans' Compensation Cost-Of-Living Adjustment Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 777, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2023.

As we do annually, today, we are taking up legislation to increase the amounts paid for wartime disability compensation, compensation for dependents, clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children.

Specifically, the bill requires VA to raise these benefit amounts by the same percentage as the cost-of-living increase provided to Social Security recipients, serving as a guarantee of quality of life for veterans and their families and ensuring that they will not experience a decline in earned benefits as economic conditions fluctuate.

The cost-of-living adjustment is a continued recognition by our grateful Nation of the service and sacrifice not just of those who have courageously worn our Nation's uniforms but those families who have supported them and also bear a great burden.

As ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, it is an honor for me to support this effort.

I will note, however, that particularly with respect to dependency and indemnity compensation, more needs to be done beyond the annual COLA to bring that program on par with other Federal survivors' benefits. It has lagged behind for far too long, which is a disservice to the survivors of our veterans. I hope this committee can see fit to advance that cause this Congress, as well.

Typically, we alternate primary sponsorship of this bill with the Senate, and this year it happens to be the Senate's turn. I acknowledge the Senate for promptly sending us their version.

I also commend the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs and extend my gratitude to Ranking Member Pappas and Chair Luttrell for their sponsorship of the House companion to this bill and for their unwavering support for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support S. 777, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. TAKANO. Jackson Lee), my good friend who serves on the Judiciary Committee.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank very much the ranking member; Mr. Bost; my good friend from Texas; the ranking member, the gentleman from New Hampshire; and, of course, in the other body, Senator Tester for a very instructive and important initiative dealing with the cost of living for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, if my colleagues are embraced and engaged with veterans--which many of us do every time we are home in the district-- they realize that they, in many instances, continue their service in the kinds of work that they do. Realize, however, that they have any number of additional challenges in many instances. That, of course, includes some of the health issues, housing issues, and ability-to- support-family issues.

The cost of living is, in essence, something that we should make as a commitment for the service that they have given.

I know that we often say thank you for your service, and we often have a smile on our face. I want it to be well known, well known, that it is by our action and our deeds, not just by our words.

The veterans that we see across our districts and across America have fought in many wars. Many of them believe that they have not been given the full amount of their veteran benefits.

They believe that they are still trying to petition for a level of disability, if you will. Some are at a certain percentage and feel that they deserve another percentage because they are in a financial condition that causes them to wonder about their service and their service-connected disability. We get all of those questions.

I think the overall statement that has been made about the cost of living is to recognize the difficulty our veterans have, the increasing amount of moneys that it requires for us to take care of our veterans, and that this is a responsible and respectable way of doing so.

I hope that we will pass this quickly. I hope that it will go to the President's desk. I hope that when we see our veterans, we will be able to be an exhibitor of deeds, that we stood on the floor of the House to say thank you.

We stood on the floor of the House to say we recognize the needs that you have from the veterans hospitals, veterans clinics, and certainly for the need of increased compensation.

This is an important statement not only for veterans but for their families. It is an important statement for the young men and women who put on the uniform today unselfishly.

They will ultimately be veterans, and we hope that they will be able to serve, and they will be able to come out as veterans.

Please be reminded as we celebrate Memorial Day there are those who put on the uniform unselfishly, and they never made it home.

We want to be able to honor those, but as well, we want to honor living veterans. I support this legislation that provides for a veterans COLA of 2023.

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to pass S. 777, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2023, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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