NEWS FROM….

CONGRESSMAN LANE EVANS

RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS

    U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Washington, DC – Congressman Lane Evans (D-IL) today applauded action by the President, signing cost-of-living allowance (COLA) legislation to provide an increase in compensation received by service-connected disabled veterans and recipients of dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) for eligible survivors and dependents. "This action of the President’s provides important additional protection to the men and women who have served this country," said Evans, Democratic Leader of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, "and for their families."

The COLA increase will be the same as the increase in Social Security, as has been the practice for several years. The Social Security Administration recently announced a rate increase of 3.5 percent. Under Public Law 106-413, this is the rate which will apply to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation for service-connected disabled veterans, and to the rates of VA disability and indemnity compensation (DIC) for survivors of certain disabled veterans.

"We need this legislation to help protect disabled veterans and their survivors from rising costs," Evans said. "This legislation ensures that the citizen soldiers who have kept us free will not lose the purchasing power of their benefits due to inflation. It is all part of treating our veterans fairly. These cost-of-living increases are especially important to disabled veterans and their families who may not have other income. I commend President Clinton for signing this bill. Veterans and their families deserve this measure of our respect and our gratitude."

"These cost-of-living increases are especially important to disabled veterans and their families who may not have other income," Evans said. The national military widows organization, the Gold Star Wives, commended Evans earlier this year for his congressional leadership on behalf of the survivors of American servicemen, "assisting desperate widows in improving their quality of life."