On the recordNovember 12, 2013
Yesterday was Veterans Day. Its origin began 95 years ago on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The armistice was signed marking the end of World War I. The next year we saw the first commemoration of Armistice Day, which became Veterans Day in 1954. Every Veterans Day since then has been a day of remembrance and commemoration for all of our veterans. Today, we have the opportunity to put the thoughts and feelings of Veterans Day into practical action. Today, with the agreement of the House, we will ensure that veterans continue to receive the support they need. On October 28, the Senate passed S. 893, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013, which provides that veterans receive a projected 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment beginning in January. This bill directs the VA to increase the rate of basic compensation for disabled veterans and the rate of dependency and indemnity compensation for their survivors and dependents. Since 1976, Congress has acted annually to increase these benefits by an amount estimated to keep pace with inflation. This year's increase is the same as that provided to Social Security recipients. Without this annual COLA increase, veterans, their families, and survivors would see the value of their hard-earned benefits slowly erode.…





