DEMOCRATIC SENATORS INTRODUCE NEW BILL FOR FIL-VET BENEFITS

By Steve Angeles, ABS-CBN North America Bureau

April 10, 2013

Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) introduced new legislation to provide full pension benefits for Filipino World War II vets.

The bipartisan Filipino Veterans Fairness Act which has 31 House co-sponsors, would make good on President Franklin Roosevelt’s
promise to the Filipino soldiers who defended the United States during WWII by providing them with full veterans’ benefits.

Filipino veteran advocates said that their fight goes beyond the lump sum benefits payments. He said that what they seek is care for the remaining elderly veterans.

“The problem is the lump sum, which is not what we want to have. What we want give is a Full lifetime pension for Filipino Veterans, which will also be given to the widow and the rest of the survivors,” said Art Garcia of the Justice for Filipino American Veterans.

Last week Nevada Senator Harry Reid said he will ask President Obama to use his executive powers to issue pensions to Filipino World War Two veterans and to address the issue of veterans who were denied their lump sum claims.

As of now, 27 representatives have signed the bill within the first hour of its introduction, veterans AND advocates need about 190 more signatures to pass the legislation.

Contact Steve Angeles at steve_angeles@abs-cbn.com for more information.