Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) who introduced S. 2736, the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act, into the Senate with Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), has now launched another bill to help disabled veterans.
Joining, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Thune has launched the Veterans’ Disability Compensation Automatic Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Act, a bipartisan bill that would require the federal government to provide disabled veterans with an automatic COLA in years when there is an increase in benefits payable under title II of the Social Security Act, which sets the requirements for disability insurance benefits.
The veterans’ COLA is usually, but not automatically, enacted each year, and is already anticipated in the Congressional Budget Office’s baseline. This means this bill is budget neutral and will give disabled veterans more financial certainty each year.
“While I wish it didn’t take an act of Congress to provide our disabled veterans with the peace of mind they deserve, I’m glad we’re taking this important step and making this COLA permanent,” Thune said.
“Our veterans have served our nation courageously, and we have an obligation to make sure their benefits cover all their needs,” Schatz added. “For too long, Congress has had to reauthorize these increases year after year, leaving disabled veterans waiting and wondering if the benefits they receive will cover all their disability-related expenses.”
Thune introduced similar legislation in 2008, which the Senate unanimously approved as part of a larger legislative package, but that was later blocked in the House of Representatives