November 15, 1979
Page 32598
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I rise in support of the Cranston amendment, which would provide a 9.9 percent increase in compensation benefits to disabled veterans.
I commend the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for his excellent leadership in providing needed relief against inflation to disabled veterans, their dependents, and their survivors. While the level of increase is not as great as in the Senate-passed bill — 11.1 percent, as assumed in the second budget resolution — it is considerably better than the 8.3 percent increase in the House-passed bill.
This 9.9. percent increase was recommended by the President. It is equal to the cost-of-living increase received earlier this year by social security and SSI beneficiaries. I believe that this level of increase will provide needed protection against inflation to veterans.
Mr. President, I would also like to commend the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator CRANSTON, for his responsible efforts in holding to the budget.
With the adoption of this bill — amended to provide a 9.9-percent increase — and the only other bill on the calendar reported by the Veterans' Committee — S. 870, the GI Bill Amendments of 1979 — the Veterans' Committee will be within its crosswalk under the second budget resolution.
I ask unanimous consent that a table be inserted in the RECORD at this point which shows the status of the Veterans' Affairs Committee's crosswalk.
Mr. President, I, along with every other Member of Congress, would like to provide veterans with even more generous benefits. However, we all must be mindful of the need for budgetary restraint in our efforts to curb the inflation which harms veterans as well as all Americans.
For this reason, I must state that I will have to oppose any amendment to this bill or any other bill — including S. 870, which the Senate will take up soon — which would violate the budget resolution.
There being no objection, the table was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
[Table omitted]