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Press Room: Press Releases

June 22, 2001

ROCKEFELLER INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE BENEFITS FOR VETERANS

-- Chairman Pushes for COLA Increase, Expanded Agent Orange Eligibility, and More Flexibility in Education Benefits --

WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today introduced three major pieces of legislation designed to update veterans benefits to keep pace with changing demands and new scientific knowledge. The proposals would ease the restrictions on Agent Orange claims, create more flexibility under the Montgomery GI bill, and provide a cost-of living adjustment (COLA) in veterans’ compensation benefits.

Earlier this month, Rockefeller resumed the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs -- a position he previously held from 1993 - 1994.

"As a Nation, we have a strong obligation to the men and women who have honorably served their country in the Armed Forces. Yet we continue to have a long way to go toward ensuring that all of our veterans have access to the quality education and benefits they deserve," Rockefeller said. "By offering these bills today, I hope to bring us closer to honoring that commitment."

The legislation introduced today represents several critical elements of Senator Rockefeller’s agenda for the Veterans’ Affairs Committee this year. The following are highlights of the three bills introduced today:

Expanded Eligibility for Agent Orange Benefits

:

• The legislation removes a restriction -- recently found to have no scientific basis -- that prevented Vietnam veterans with respiratory cancers from claiming benefits if the disease manifested more than 30 years after their Vietnam service. The bill also restores eligibility to those who were previously denied because of the time limit.
• It also restores the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange -- removed by a recent court decision -- for all veterans who served in Vietnam during the war.
• Continues the National Academy of Sciences’ regular reviews on the long-term health consequences of Agent Orange exposure.

In introducing this legislation, Rockefeller said, "The men and women who served this Nation, and who have struggled for so many years with the health consequences of exposure to Agent Orange, should not have to battle now to have that sacrifice recognized."

Cost-of-Living Adjustment

:

• The legislation provides for a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to the compensation benefits paid to veterans and their survivors.

"Veterans and their dependents, like everyone else, need additional resources to deal with inflation and increases in the cost of living. The federal government has a responsibility to ensure that our Nation’s veterans have enough income to make ends meet," Rockefeller said.

More Flexibility in Education Benefits

:

• The legislation creates flexibility for the Montgomery GI Bill to pay for high-tech, short-term courses, like computer systems training. These courses, which often last just a few weeks, are often expensive and unaffordable for many veterans. This bill will allow veterans to use their GI Bill benefits to participate in training courses in the high-tech field.

Rockefeller added, "In the current economy, education is the key to prosperity, so this investment in educational opportunities and the GI Bill is both timely and critical."