Bill, 63 years in the making, now awaits House vote
WASHINGTON — Legislation to expand benefits to World War II Filipino veterans, who have been denied military compensation for 63 years, passed in a 96-to-1 vote in the Senate on April 24.
“America won today,” said Ben de Guzman, national coordinator for the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity. “Filipino Americans and our veterans know the historic impact of this vote, but it is really a victory for everyone who cares about all veterans and about justice. We are one step closer for 18,000 veterans who have been waiting for 62 years to see this day!”
The proposed bill would provide $250 million over the next 10 years toward pensions for veterans residing in the United States and the Philippines. About $84 million of that will go to Filipinos in the United States for such benefits as grants to modify homes for disabled vets. The other $166 million would pay pension benefits to Filipino veterans in the Philippines who fought for the U.S. but were not injured. About 6,000 Filipino veterans are alive in the U.S. and 12,000 in the Philippines.
“The Filipino veterans of World War II fought bravely under U.S. military command, helping us win the war only to lose their veteran status by an act of Congress,” said Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-HI, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. “I commend my colleagues for supporting those veterans who stood with us.”
The bill would also improve life insurance benefits for disabled veterans younger than 65 and for veterans who have suffered traumatic injuries since 2001. It would also enhance some housing benefits for veterans with severe burn injuries and boost some labor and education benefits for veterans.
A last-minute amendment by Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC, proposed limiting compensation coverage to exclude veterans residing in the Philippines, but it was struck down. “This is the wrong thing for the U.S. to do,” Burr maintained.
During World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt promised Filipino veterans U.S. citizenship and full veterans benefits, but those were blocked when Congress enacted two Rescission Acts in 1946.
The focus now shifts to the House’s version of the bill, which is waiting for a vote on the House floor. The congressional champion of that bill is Rep. Bob Filner, D-CA, who has pushed for its passage for close to two decades.
“The special monthly pension to the Filipino veterans in the Philippines is a welcome development for our aging veterans in the Philippines, but the true fight for full equity is still on,” said Lourdes Tancinco, chairperson of the Veterans Equity Center and the National Network for Veterans Equity.
“This is a great moment for our Filipino veterans, but we, the Filipino American community, need to complete the final victory,” said Ben Menor, a Bay Area community activist.