Reid, Heller & Hirono Continue To Stand Up For Filipino World War II Veterans

Press Release

Today, Nevada Senator Harry Reid demanded an explanation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on their proposal to take funds from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund (FVEC) to pay for cost overruns at the mismanaged Denver VA project.

In a letter to VA Secretary Robert McDonald, which was also signed by Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), the Senators underscored the importance of the FVEC, which provides much-delayed compensation to more than 200,000 Filipino veterans who served alongside American soldiers during World War II, and slammed the VA for proposing to tap the fund to pay for their gross mismanagement:

"We write to you today to express our deep concern over the reprogramming proposals contained in the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) plan for completion of the Denver Replacement Medical Center which was publicly released on June 5, 2015. In particular we are very disappointed that the VA proposed to reprogram $35 million from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation (FVEC) fund which Congress created to recognize the dedicated service of the over 200,000 Filipinos who fought under the U.S. flag during World War II…. The fact the FVEC would be considered as a means to cover VA's mismanagement of a major construction project is an affront to those Filipino veterans who gave their lives in service to our nation and those Filipino veterans whose FVEC claims appeals are still pending."

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