Alan Simpson: “it is a pleasure for me, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to request Senate approval of S.…”

“it is a pleasure for me, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to request Senate approval of S. 1791. This legislation, Mr. President, would grant to recipients of compensation, and dependency and indemnity compensation [DIC] benefits, from the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] a cost of living adjustment [COLA] increase to take effect at the beginning of next year. This legislation is appropriate and warranted--even as we continue to work diligently to achieve deficit reduction. We can balance the budget, and simultaneously treat our veterans, and their survivors, with fairness and compassion. This bill is simple and straightforward. It would grant to recipients of certain VA benefits--most notably, veterans with service-connected disabilities who receive VA compensation, and the surviving spouses and children of veterans who have died as a result of service-connected injuries or illnesses, who receive dependency and indemnity compensation or DIC--the same percentage COLA that Social Security recipients will receive in 1997.”