House Passes Abraham's bill to Boost Benefits for Veterans

Statement

A bill authored by Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-Alto, giving veterans a boost in their benefits passed the House on Tuesday, July 28.

The bill, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, provides a cost of living adjustment for veterans so that their benefits can maintain their value despite the rising costs of inflation.

"I'm proud to have authored and passed this important piece of legislation. A broad, bipartisan coalition supported my bill as Congress recognized the need to support our veterans. Our American heroes took care of us, and now we need to take care of them," said Dr. Abraham.

COLA increases will be tied to increases in Social Security. Social Security will use the Consumer Price Index for the third quarter to determine how much benefits will increase. Should the bill become law, veterans will see their increased benefits in December.

The bill was the first authored by Dr. Abraham, a freshman, to pass the House. It now goes to the Senate for consideration. As the chairman of the Veterans Affairs subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, veterans' issues are among Dr. Abraham's top priorities in Washington.

"We have a lot of work to do to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs. I'm working with my colleagues on the VA Committee every day to bring true change to department so that we can get the veterans the care they need. With so much volatility in the VA, I'm glad the House passed my bill that will bring some more financial stability to our heroes," Dr. Abraham said.

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