04.24.08
UPDATE: Senate Approves Filipino Veterans Equity; Bill Now Moves to the House
Statement by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
Washington, D.C. April 24 - At around noon today, the U.S. Senate passed S. 1315 by a vote of 96-1. The omnibus bill includes a provision which restores U.S. veterans status and pension benefits to Filipino World War II veterans.
Today’s historic vote came about after the senate struck down an amendment introduced by Richard Burr, ranking minority leader of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. By a vote of 56 to 41, senators rejected Burr’s proposal that would have denied pension benefits to Filipino veterans in the Philippines. Burr needed 49 votes for his amendment to pass. Six Republicans joined the Democrats in rejecting what was widely viewed as a highly discriminatory act against Filipino veterans.
The bill now moves to the House for debate and a floor vote. If it passes intact, it will then go to President Bush for his signature.
“This is a great day for our veterans,” says NaFFAA National Chair Alma Kern. “It has restored our faith in the American justice system. Our veterans have waited more than 60 years, and now they are closer than ever to regaining their honor and dignity.”
Kern calls on the Filipino American community to call members of the House of Representatives and urge them to support the Filipino Veterans Equity Act. “We have to see this campaign through to the finish,” she adds. “It’s up to us to make this happen.”
In December 2006, NaFFAA and the Philippine Embassy co-hosted a meeting of advocates for the Filipino Veterans equity that resulted in the formation of NAFVE, the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity. In the last two years, activists from NAFVE, which includes NaFFAA, and the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV) lobbied long and hard to get Congress to act on this bill. “I’m very hearted by our community’s response, flooding the various offices in Congress with e-mails, phone calls and visits. We couldn’t have done this without your support,” Kern says.
She also thanked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Daniel Akaka, Daniel Inouye, Ted Stevens for their consistent championing of Filipino veterans equity.