Date: 1981-09-21
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I appreciate your kind comments and I want. to express my nppreciation. Mr. Speaker. to the distinguished gentleman from Mississippi. SONNY MONTGOMERY. and to the able gentleman from Arkansas. JOHN PA17L HAMMERSCHMIDT. the ranking minority member of the full committee. and. of course. to my colleague. CHALMERS WYLIE Of Ohio0. and the entire subcommittee for their efforts to help get the reported bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker. today we are considering a bill to provide a costofliving Increase in benefits for veterans who were disabled as a result of their military service and for the widows and orphans of veterans who died of serviceconnected causes. The bill Is designed to assist these individuals and to make sure that their level of benefits is not eroded by the ravages of inflation. The bill will provide an average 11.3percent Increase effective October 1. 1981. According to the Congressional Budget Office. It would cost $893.5 million in fiscal year 1982 and would not exceed the targets currently contained in the first concurrent budget resolution. Mr. Speaker. the bill Is not inflationary In that it simply provides a costofliving increase based on the anticipated rise in the Consumer Price Index between October 1. 1980. and September 30. 1981. The legislation is necessary since the serviceconnected program for veterans and widows is not Indexed by law. Serviceconnected compensation Is payable to veterans who suffer from a disease or disability incurred during service. The percentage of disability for a specific disability is assigned by the Veterans Administration. That agency has established a "schedule for rating disabilities" which Is the guideline for measuring the degree of disability. Compensation Is paid for disabilities at ratings of 10 percent. 20 percent. and so forth up to 100 percent. The rate of compensation payable for each percentage of disability is established by law. Additional compensation Is payable for the loss of a limb. blindness and other severe disabilities. An additional dependency allowance is payable to veterans with a rating of 30 peroent or more for a spouse. minor children. or dependent parents. Historically. the Congress has Increased compensation rates whenever there has been an appreciable increase In the costofliving Index. since the rates are not Indexed to the Consumer Price Index by law. This Is necessary the purchasing power of those draw- There follows a breakdown of the to insure that inflation does not erode Ing compensation and DIC benefits. percent of Increase in compensation rates over those paid on July 1. 1933: Pos aweraa in wvest (ales over ftse pdi ot Air 1. 1933 jlfi3 costa1934 1940 1945 1946 1949 19 1 954 1951 196? 1965 1269 1910 1012 1914 1975 1976 1911 198 1919 190 e 10 pereli.................... .. . ............ 1 21.8..."53.3 66.7 158 89.9 111.1 122.2 133.3 155.8 177.8 2111 ?55.6 2009 322.2 3556 3019 4333 500.0 569.4 515.0 20 ment ....................................1. 21.0.....533 663 15.0 83 3 100.0 111.1 12? 2 138.9 155.6 183.3 2218 261.1 2809 316.? 344.4 3609 450.8 5894 518.8 30 Peorcet.......................... ....11.1 21.4.. 533 66.1 15.0 65.2 1031 1148 122.2 14017 159.3 185.2 2996 263.0 292.8 318.5 348.2 385.2 455.5 5694 5215.0 43 ans...l ............... ............ . 1.1 218 53.3 661 150 833l 10?28 113.9 127.8 141.2 1IGG.1 1944 2389 212.2 302.8 3306 361.1 4055 4?22 5694 54381 50 pm .................................... 111 21.8 . 53.3 66? 1 1il 0IQ.2 122 2 1371 151.1 171.1 200.0 231.8 280.0 3118 9511 38100 4156 466.1 54617 5694 6215 64 wrs1. ......... ............. ....1. 2.8 ....53.3 667 917 1019 122 2 137.0 1519 172.2 2019 2355 290.1 331.0 312.2 4031 410.1 494.4 519.6 569A 664.6 70 Perent..................................11.1 21.8....53.3 861 9117 1016 122 2 136.5 1558 1762 2064 236.5 2.6 344.4 3144 411.1 449.2 5031 5409 569.4 6150 8 ercnt ........I....................... 111 2718 ....533 667 91.1 1014 110l 130. 15813 119.2 209.1 240.3 301A 3500 3069 4991 4i5 6 511.1 5906 5694 685.9 90 percent.. ...... ............... ... 1. .....53.3 61 91.1 101.2 1210 135.8 150.0 119.0 200.6 2305 301.2 349.4 385.2 4173 455.6 5111 5981 5694 606.1 100 aWcen ...- ...................111 21.0. 53.3 6617 911 1011 B 0 11.8 2333 3444 4000 450.0 548 9 6211 885.6 3iJ 130.9 U01.8 1.028.9 5694 1.1700 AA vl attsoace-......................................400 680 60 0 80 88 00.8. 80 8.0 881.0 8001 00.0 1080 1080 124.0 124.0 124.0 124.0 1480 542.1 18.0 2 stitifty las ...... . . . ................... 33.3 60 .0 80 0 11 3 M.0 106.0 1861 8861 233 213.3 3103 3841 402.1 411601 5241 510 8380t 741.3 5421 1013 LsA. boh eMq ... . . 34.3 61.1 61.6 189 88.0 105A 1229 151.1 114.3 252.0 281.4 351.1 4120 453.1 4897 5306f 595.4 6949 542.1 69409 Lou 2 eMe aod 1 wr s~o~e 3..... .5 59.0 590 165 05.5 100.5 120.0 161.5 2825S 2500 285.8 354.5 409.0 4495 486.0 529.0 5SI.5 698.5 542.1 690.5 08wi** orin ............... 20.0 46.0 440 600 680 0.0 110.0 8460 1800 213.6 244.8 30681 355.6 392.4 428.8 4632 5108 6012 542.8 601.2 1 W r Ilo . - . ....- ..~.-....... 20.0 200 333 49.0 590 15.01 1001 133.3 1613 101.3 2390 2791 310.3 331.3 369.3 41517 409.3 3552 489.3 Arm or t eewexao We ................................................ - 8 .. 0 0 0 8 8 0 0 8 8 8 0 0 8 2141 0 1 hWsW u Mr usporto ofeiter ...............................333 . 661......00...1240...8461 ..19...3.2236867 200244.2153 193021.0 2534211.3402.034279031 N 434%0 2 hwtr o 2 M o ? r ..t . .... .................................9.4...32.8..........9...2. ..09.1...1460 9. 326269819.85092801.1111415 01215581 3291 751634.1 9 3281 Arosed 18......................................... I.............. I.......... ............. .... .... . .. ......... 0 166.1 26.1 35.3 45.3 800 8217 1002 82.1 9.1 25.1 28.3 25.1 Widows and children of veterans who die of causes determined to be serviceconnected are entitled to monthly payments of dependency and indemnity compensation. The purpose of this benefit is to provide partial compensation to the designated survivors for the loss in financial support sustained as the result of the serviceconnected death. Income and need are not factors In determining a surviving spouses or childs entitlement since the Nation assumes. in part. the legal and moral obligation of the veteran to support the spouse and children. Payments of DIC for surviving spouses are determined on the basis of the veterans service pay grade and range from $373 monthly for the surviving spouse of an E1 to $954 monthly for the surviving spouse of an 010. Surviving spouses are entitled to an additional $43 monthly for each child. It is well established that the Congress has placed the very highest piority on the payment of compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation benefits to eligible veterans and survivors. The following summarizes the legislative Initiatives in this program during the past 7 years.