OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

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

Floor Speech

Date: Nov. 12, 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Veterans

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Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Yesterday was Veterans Day. Its origin began 95 years ago on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The armistice was signed marking the end of World War I. The next year we saw the first commemoration of Armistice Day, which became Veterans Day in 1954. Every Veterans Day since then has been a day of remembrance and commemoration for all of our veterans.

Today, we have the opportunity to put the thoughts and feelings of Veterans Day into practical action. Today, with the agreement of the House, we will ensure that veterans continue to receive the support they need.

On October 28, the Senate passed S. 893, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013, which provides that veterans receive a projected 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment beginning in January.

This bill directs the VA to increase the rate of basic compensation for disabled veterans and the rate of dependency and indemnity compensation for their survivors and dependents.

Since 1976, Congress has acted annually to increase these benefits by an amount estimated to keep pace with inflation. This year's increase is the same as that provided to Social Security recipients.

Without this annual COLA increase, veterans, their families, and survivors would see the value of their hard-earned benefits slowly erode.

Many of the millions of veterans and survivors who receive monthly benefits depend upon these payments in order to make ends meet. For some, it is their only source of income.

Providing for a cost-of-living increase is an important thing that we all can do to help veterans and ensure that the value of their benefits does not decrease over time due to inflation. It is a way that we can, the day after Veterans Day, thank our veterans again for their service and their sacrifice. I urge my colleagues to support S. 893.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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