Vets press House to act on equity bill

May 18, 2008  --  Got something to say?
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By Rodney J. Jaleco
WASHINGTON D.C. Filipino veterans and their supporters remembered the Fall of Corregidor 66 years ago as they pressed the House of Representatives to pass the equity bill.
HR 760 is the House version of S-1315, expanding benefits to American veterans and providing pensions to about 18,000 surviving Filipino World War II veterans living in the U.S. and the Philippines.
There was a sense of déjà vu when veterans’ activists again mentioned the “magic number” of 60. This was the same number of senators they said was needed to block a filibuster of S-1315. Eric Lachica, executive director of Virginia-based American Coalition of Filipino Veterans (ACFV), told ABS-CBN’s Balitang America this time around, they needed to enlist that many Republican congressmen to pave the way for a speedy passage of HR 760.
In a meeting with House veterans affairs chairman Bob Filner last Tuesday, retired Maj. Gen. Delfin Lorenzana said the San Diego, California solon intended to adopt S-1315 in the Lower House.
“He said he will adopt S-1315 which has been approved in the Senate so there will be no problems,” Lorenzana intimated to Balitang America.
“If they insist on pushing the House version, that is different from the Senate version, it will have to go back to the Senate. To speed up the process, they’d prefer to adopt the Senate version so it can move swiftly to final approval,” he explained.
But adopting S-1315 faces uncertain prospects on the House floor.
“It’s a reasonable, doable approach,” says Lachica.
“We are hopeful we can get the 60 Republican votes to support the Filner-Issa proposal,” he said, referring to the two San Diego lawmakers who share sponsorship of the equity bill – Filner, a Democrat, and Republican Congressman Darrell Issa.
Lachica explained the bill’s House supporters need about 290 votes to suspend the rules of the House and proceed to adopt S-1315.
Although Lachica declined to talk openly about it, it’s widely expected talks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this afternoon (Wednesday) would revolve around a vigorous Fil-Am lobby to get the 60 Republican votes. Pelosi has the final say if and when HR 760 can be put to the floor. Like her Senate counterpart – Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada – Pelosi will naturally be hesitant to put the bill to a vote unless she’s guaranteed of at least a fighting chance the bill will pass.
Democrats are the majority in the 435-member House of Representatives. To adopt S-1315, Lachica says they need at least 290 votes.
HR 760 passed the veterans committee last year only after heated, sometimes raucous, debate. There are fears Republican opponents of the bill would put up a stiff resistance that, many expect, will again revolve around the 13,000 Filipino veterans living in the Philippines.
This is the reason why House proponents are inclined to adopt S-1315. HR 760 provides for higher pensions to veterans in the Philippines.
Both S-1315 and HR-760 sets aside $911 a month for non-service disability pension to Filipino veterans living in the U.S.
But HR-760 provides $500 a month for non-service disability pension to veterans in the Philippines, compared to $300 under S-1315.
Thus, the final tab for Filipino veterans’ pension will be $40 million a year under S-1315 but would balloon to $90 million a year if HR-760 is adopted.
Nevertheless, Fil-Am leaders are still working to get a final pension amount lying between the Senate and House versions for the aging veterans when they’re reconciled in conference.

CONSTITUENTS KEEP UP THE PRESSURE
Jose Nuega flew all the way from Sacramento, California to attend the Corregidor commemoration rites at the World War II Memorial.
With his wife in tow, he has joined the squad of his fellow World War II veterans and their supporters, marching through the halls of Capitol Hill.
“We have been around this morning, asking the support of congressmen to our bill that was already approved in the Senate,” Nuega averred.
He said they will try to speak with Sacramento Rep. Doris Matsui, a longtime supporter of Filipino veterans, while they’re in DC.
Lorenzana said they are talking with members of the Philippine Caucus, an informal, bipartisan group of lawmakers on both chambers of Congress that are sympathetic to Philippine concerns in the U.S.
Lachica said they are working closely with Republican Congressmen Issa, Dana Rohrabacher of California and others to draw the GOP’s support to Filipino veterans.
At the World War II Memorial, retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba joined the veterans in offering a wreath to fallen comrades. The man who helped expose abuses in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison was still soft-spoken but evidently relished his time with the veterans. He is the son of a World War II veteran who decided to live and raise the young Gen. Taguba in the U.S.
If the lobbyists talked about political imperatives, Taguba harped on his constant theme – that America has a moral obligation to Filipinos who fought under her flag in World War II.
“I think the time is now. Our veterans can ill afford to wait another 62 years. The Senate passed the bill and I think it’s a matter of a modicum of discussion on the House side, adopt the Senate version and pass it. Our veterans are dying and we can honor them by passing the bill,” Gen. Taguba declared.


Posted by News Team | Filed Under Articles/Stories 

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