Congress Votes Benefits for WWII Filipino Allies

[Kanastrous]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved legislation that would give pension benefits to about 18,000 Filipino veterans who fought alongside U.S. forces in the Philippines during World War Two.

"It is estimated that 10,000 Filipinos died during the Bataan Death March, along with 3,000 U.S. soldiers," said Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka, a Hawaii Democrat and a chief sponsor of the measure.

"The Philippines throughout the war suffered great loss of life and tremendous physical damage," Akaka said.

The measure is part of a broader bill that would expand health, education, housing and pension benefits for U.S. veterans. The Senate approved the bill on a vote of 96-1 after beating back an effort by some Republicans to drop benefits for veterans still living in the Philippines.

The opponents argued that the $300 a month pension was too generous and argued that those veterans still living in the Philippines already receive a pension from their own government.

Of some 470,000 Filipinos who joined with U.S. forces to fight the Japanese, some 18,000 are still living.

The legislation now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The White House opposed the Filipino pension measure. Even so, a number of Republicans joined the Democratic majority to beat back an amendment by Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, to limit the pension benefit only to Filipino veterans living in the United States.

Sen. Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican who opposed Burr's amendment, said the pension benefit for Filipino World War Two veterans was long overdue and argued during the Senate debate that the cost would not be all that great.

"The youngest age involved is 82," said Stevens, who will turn 85 this year. "They are just not going to be with us that long.

"Anyone who would give you some estimate of billions of dollars that it is going to cost to take care of these people and give them what they were entitled to long ago -- I think it is overestimating it," he added.

***


It's always good to see the legislature salvage at least a small piece of our national honor.

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews ... 6720080424

[Sea Skimmer]

Actually the number is about 24,000 veterans, with some 6,000 of those veterans living in the United States. Its those 6,000 who are the main issue, as the article states the veterans still living in the Philippines local government benefits and are generally pretty well off, but the ones in the US get nothing. However this issue has come up about thirty times before, it’s practically a yearly issue, and is still may not pass.

[FSTargetDrone]

It's always good to see the legislature salvage at least a small piece of our national honor.

It's good to see that the current administration fully supports this as well..er, wait, did I read that part right?

The White House opposed the Filipino pension measure.

I am shocked, shocked. Surely that is a mistake.

[Sea Skimmer]

The white house is against it because it could in all reality cost a half billion dollars, pocket change but that’s been enough to kill this idea every time before.

[Pelranius]

There was some other douchebag congressman who said that the half billion dollars should be used to improve lives for American veterans. Can't remember his name, but he was a Republican from some hick state, I think.

Granted, our boys deserve every dollar, but his logic sounds like robbing Peter to pay Paul, to use the old cliche.

[Kanastrous]

Yeah, like that's what they'd do with the money, even if offered the chance...

[FSTargetDrone]

The white house is against it because it could in all reality cost a half billion dollars, pocket change but that’s been enough to kill this idea every time before.

Well, they can keep putting it off for another 10 or 15 years. By that time, it won't matter.

[Z-Ha-Dum]

I weep for our veterans who already passed away. They loyally served America during the Second World War and got nothing. Many people who loyally serve America get nothing. But it is good to see that it is members of the Democratic Party who are exerting any effort to give them their just compensation. They have our gratitude.