Bob Filner: “I rise in support of the Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act of 2007. I was glad to be able to work with my…”

“I rise in support of the Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act of 2007. I was glad to be able to work with my colleagues on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, on both sides of the aisle and in both Houses, to get here. I want to thank Mr. Rangel and his staff for their guidance on the provision that fell under the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Committee. I especially want to thank our colleague from Madison, Wisconsin, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, who led the effort for this, who got it to the floor today and who will explain it in whatever detail she thinks is important. I note that this bill was previously introduced in the last Congress; however, it never became law. I am glad this Congress has the opportunity to do more for our blind and vision impaired veterans. The Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act of 2007, named after a noted physician and ocular pioneer who worked for over 35 years in the VA, would allow veterans who receive veterans' disability compensation for impairment of vision in one eye to be eligible to receive additional disability compensation for impairment of vision in the eye that is not service-connected, where the impairment in each eye is to a visual acuity of 20/200 or less or of a peripheral field of 20 degrees or less (the definition of ``legal blindness'' adopted by all 50 states and the Social Security Administration.)”