High Noon in Washington

May 9, 2008  --  Got something to say?
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Our Town By Jon MelegritoBy Jon Melegrit
When the news came shortly after 12 noon on Thursday, April
24, that the Senate just passed the Veterans Benefit Enchancement Act,
we whooped and hollered along with everybody else who have been
monitoring the events in the Senate chamber the past two days. Oh, what
a day!

Although that was only half the battle, we’re all feeling
confident that in a few weeks the bill will become law and we’d be all
dancing in the streets. This is, of course, assuming that the House will
act just as decisively as the Senate. We shall see.

What will be passed this year won’t be full equity, of
course. But this is the best “deal” we can expect to get during an
election year when everyone else is focused on who’s going to take over
the White House in November. In a year when the debate is about a
sagging economy and a war in Iraq that’s draining the country’s
resources. In a year when immigrants are viewed as “aliens” and
“foreigners” - regardless of their legal status.

It is this backdrop that almost doomed our efforts to win
equity for Filipino WWII veterans. We’re not there yet, but thanks to
seven brave and courageous Republicans, the senate struck down a cynical
attempt to deny pension benefits to Filipino veterans residing in the
Philippines . Richard Burr, ranking minority leader in the Senate
Veterans Affairs Committee, had filed an amendment to S. 1315 that would
strip away these benefits. His reason: Giving money to “overseas
Filipinos” would take away money from the war in Iraq .

But the Magnificent Seven disagreed and voted with the
Democrats who affirmed that “No veteran should be left behind.” Their
names are worth mentioning: Chuck Hagel of Nebraska , Richard Lugar of
Indiana, Lisa Murkowski and Ted Stevens of Alaska , Arlen Specter of
Pennsylvania, John Warner of Virginia and George Voinovich of Ohio.
They thwarted Burr, 56-41.

Voting down this amendment was actually the main highlight
of the two-day drama in Capitol Hill. We weren’t quite sure how many
others supported Burr, or if a watered-down compromise will result in
the end.

After almost no movement for months, Senate action certainly
came as a huge relief to veterans and community activists who have been
lobbying in Capitol Hill since January last year. It was a particularly
significant development, coming a few days after the commemoration of
Bataan Day on April 9.

On that day, and for days prior, NAFVE and ACFV leaders and members were
visiting and talking to legislative assistants urging their bosses to
support S. 1315. Calls and e-mails from all over the country flooded
congressional offices. There was definitely a buzz inside the halls of
Congress.

And then on Thursday, April 10, Rozita Lee of Las Vegas met with Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid over breakfast. Rozita, a member of NAFVE’s
steering committee and national vice chair of NaFFAA, is well known to
Reid for her community activism and leadership in Nevada. Rozita has
also been making several visits to Capitol Hill over the last year and a
half. “To my pleasant surprise, Sen. Reid told me that he planned to
introduce the veterans bill in the senate floor in two weeks,” Rozita
recalls. “We have been waiting for the senate to move and this was
definitely music to my ears.”

Reid brought the bill to the floor on Tuesday, April 22. NAFVE went on
full national action alert and mobilized hundreds of supporters to make
phone calls. The response from our grassroots base was remarkable.

The first order of business was a procedural one: to begin floor debate
on S. 1315. That easily passed, 94-0. But the showdown was to come next.

As expected, contentious debate ensued. The Republican leadership wanted
to remove the provision pertaining to pension benefits for Filipino
veterans residing in the Philippines . Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell argued that money for Filipinos overseas is “misplaced
priorities” and would divest money from soldiers returning from Iraq.
The Republicans also pointed out that money for “foreign Filipino
veterans” would put them 1400 percent above the poverty line in the
Philippines.

This is patently absurd, of course. The $3,600/year disability pension
proposed by the Democrats is to assure that the veterans do not live in
poverty, and allow them a decent and dignified life.

On the argument that this funding would take money away from the war,
the facts speak otherwise. The U.S. now spends $12 billion a month on an
open ended war. The budget for the Filipino Veterans is $220 million for
the next 10 years not discounting the fact that the population is
diminishing at a fast rate. If the population decreases at an increasing
rate, the $220 million may not even be exhausted. All veterans should
receive equal benefits that they deserve.

President Bush also weighed in with the same objections as the
Republican leadership in a statement issued by the White House. A big
disappointment, especially to Republican Filipino Americans who had
hoped for the president’s support.

Burr got his chance to formally present his amendment Thursday morning,
April 24. The suspense kept us glued to our cell phones waiting for
results. The day before, NAFVE national coordinator Ben de Guzman worked
round the clock sending action alerts across the nation, calling on our
supporters to deluge congressional offices with “NO to Burr” messages.
Along with NaFFAA media liaison Bing Branigin and NAFVE consultant Irene
Bueno, they visited several senate offices, personally urging staffers
to tell their bosses to stop Burr.

That apparently worked. Burr could only muster 41 supporters from his
own ranks. This paved the way for the full senate to close debate
and vote, which it did overwhelmingly, 96-1.

” America rocks,” exults NAFVE leader Gloria Caoile upon hearing the
news. “It has restored my faith in the system.”

It’s not over yet, of course, but we are confident we will finally win
this one, after 16 years of lobbying, after 62 years of waiting.

In introducing the bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said: “Time
is running out. The average age of these vets is 80 and we can’t afford
to wait any longer to do what’s right. These soldiers made a promise to
protect and fight for us and we must keep our promise to honor and fight
for them. ”

Thank you to all who donated their time, talent and treasure to our
campaign to win justice for our aging soldiers and heroes. And to our
veterans who fought for us, the least we can do is fight for you in the
streets, in the halls of Congress, in our hearts.

E-mail your comments to jonmele@aol.com

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