Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004
VETERANS BENEFITS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2004 -- (House of Representatives - November 17, 2004)
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(Ms. WATERS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to join with my colleagues today in support of veterans. On Veterans Day, I visited a program in my district known as U.S. Vets. This is a program that houses veterans in transition. They really work with the homeless. They have a huge residential complex, and the veterans are able to stay at this complex while they get job training leading to a job. In addition to that, they have a central facility there where they prepare meals for the veterans. They also have a wonderful computer room where veterans are learning computer skills.
And while I was very pleased to be there on Veterans Day with them, I was reminded of all those things we need to do for veterans that should have been done a long time ago. This bill goes a long way to attending to some of those things that we should have done.
For example, surviving spouses can now get $250 in dependency and indemnity compensation. Veterans who were exposed to radiation can now be eligible for VA compensation. We increase the educational assistance by 10 percent, allowing veterans to pursue a full-time apprenticeship program, or on-the-job training. There are other benefits in this bill.
We can all be proud on both sides of the aisle that we are finally paying attention in a real way. I know that there has been a lot of debate about the cost of some of the things we would like to do, but I do not think at a time in particular where we are at war and where veterans are coming back with the loss of a limb, with health impairments and other kinds of deficiencies that they are now confronted with that we can talk about not being able to afford to pay in order to make their lives comfortable when they return from war.
So I am very pleased, and I wish to commend all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for pursuing this bill that will help our veterans.