Jun 21st, 2009. Filed under Headline, Latest News.
Ensign Bucks More Benefits For Vets
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LAS VEGAS - Sen. John Ensign is opposed to any move to increase federal benefits for Filipino World War II veterans saying he does not want to raise their standards of living in the Philippines.
The senator, who is said to have Filipino blood in him, spoke at the monthly luncheon of the Asian Chamber of Commerce at the Palace Station Hotel May 29.
“If they got the same amount of money as veterans here, we would basically allow them to live at a much higher level of standard of living than any veterans that we provide for in the United States,” Ensign said.
Rozita Lee, vice chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, had asked Ensign what he would do with regard to the campaign for full equity for Filipino World War II veterans living in the Philippines.
Lee earlier said in a separate interview that the Filipino community is disappointed over disparate compensations for veterans based on where they currently reside.
She was referring to the different lump sum payments for Filipino veterans who are now American citizens and veterans who are in the Philippines.
“Why should there be different compensations made to veterans because of where they live?” she told the Asian Journal.
“They fought in the same war side by side with American soldiers, caught the same bullets the enemy fired, fought and died for America. They were promised by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that they would be accorded the same benefits as American soldiers,” she added.
This is not the first time that Ensign has made known his views on the two-tiered lump sum payments for Filipino veterans.
It will be recalled that during deliberations in Congress early this year, Ensign voted against giving the veterans the same amount as those living in the United States.
As a result, the US government authorized one-time lump sum payments of $15,000 each to Filipino World War II veterans who are US citizens as well as those residing in the United States . Veterans who fought in the same war, but are currently living in the Philippines were given a smaller amount of only $9,000.
