Senator Johnny Isakson (above) is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs and his office notes.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amanda Maddox (Isakson) 202-224-7777
Josh Zembik
(Blumenthal), 202-224-6452
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Isakson, Blumenthal Introduce Legislation to Increase Veterans’ Benefits
Bill would boost veterans’ disability compensation to adjust for rising costs of living
WASHINGTON
– U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.,
chairman and ranking member of the Senate
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced bipartisan legislation to
increase veterans’ disability benefits from the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA).
The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2015
(S.1493) would increase the rates of VA disability compensation,
dependency compensation for surviving children and spouses, and the
clothing allowance for veterans based on rising costs of living.
“In a world of rising living costs, our veterans should be compensated accordingly,”
said Isakson. “Our men and
women in uniform have sacrificed greatly, and we must ensure that
veterans with service-related injuries and their families receive the
necessary benefits they
have fought for and so rightly deserve.”
“Our nation's disabled heroes deserve
better-- compensation that keeps pace with rising costs. Escalating
living expenses are painfully squeezing veterans who rely on disability
payments-- requiring
fair raises,” said Blumenthal.
“Our nation must keep faith with men and women whose service injuries
merit compensation, providing what we promise for decent living and
dignity.”
This cost-of-living adjustment, which is
equal to the amount of the adjustment given to Social Security
recipients, is determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer
Price Index on a yearly
basis. The cost-of-living adjustment for veterans would go into effect
on December 1, 2015.
Original co-sponsors of the
Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2015
include the other members of the Committee: Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.,
John Boozman, R-Ark., Dean Heller, R-Nev., Bill Cassidy, R-La., Mike
Rounds, R-S.D., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Dan Sullivan,
R-Alaska, Patty Murray, D-Wash., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sherrod Brown,
D-Ohio, Jon Tester, D-Mont., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Joe Manchin,
D-W.V.
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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress.
Isakson is a veteran himself – having
served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a
member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005.
Isakson’s home
state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations
representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000
veterans.
veterans