Daniel Kahikina Akaka, U.S. Senator of Hawaii: Press Releases

Daniel Kahikina Akaka, U.S. Senator for Hawaii

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Akaka Introduces Cost-of-Living Increase for Disabled Veterans

February 8, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, introduced legislation today to increase veterans' compensation through a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). A bipartisan group of Veterans' Affairs Committee Members signed on as original cosponsors of this legislation, including Ranking Member Burr, and Senators Rockefeller, Murray, Obama, Sanders, Brown, Webb, Tester, Craig, and Isakson.

"The COLA increase must be understood as a continuing cost of war. This legislation is necessary to protect the value of the compensation disabled veterans and their survivors receive and rely upon," said Senator Akaka.

The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2008 directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2008, the rates of:

Veterans' disability compensation,
Dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children, and
Additional related benefits.

The COLA increase for veterans will match the annual increase provided to Social Security recipients. The COLA is designed to offset inflation and other factors that alter the cost of living over time. The COLA calculation is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics "Consumer Price Index." The increase for 2008 was 2.3 percent. The 2009 increase has yet to be determined.

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Year: [2008] , 2007 , 2006 , 2005 , 2004 , 2003 , 2002 , 2001 , 2000 , 1999 , 1900

Feingold, Akaka Fight for Veteran Health Care [February 29, 2008]
Akaka Chairs hearing on Government-wide Intelligence Community Management Reforms [February 29, 2008]
Statement on Resignation of Under Secretary for Benefits from VA [February 28, 2008]
Bipartisan Senators Urge Secretary Rice to Reconsider U.S. Policy Toward Cuba [February 28, 2008]
Expert Testimony on PTSD and Veterans' Disability Compensation in Senate Veterans Affairs Committee [February 27, 2008]
University of Hawaii Selected as Homeland Security Center [February 26, 2008]
Chairman Akaka and Majority Members of Veterans' Affairs Committee Provide Budget Views and Estimates [February 22, 2008]
Akaka Announces Nominations to U.S. Service Academies [February 21, 2008]
Senate Democrats Discuss Efforts to Protect Wounded Warriors and Veterans [February 15, 2008]
Dept. of Labor Implements Akaka USERRA Recommendations [February 15, 2008]
Veterans Diagnosed with PTSD on Active Duty No Longer Required to Provide Further Evidence of PTSD [February 15, 2008]
Akaka Reacts to Army Recommendation to Station Stryker Brigade at Schofield [February 15, 2008]
Hearing on Veterans' Funding with New VA Secretary Peake [February 14, 2008]
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Screening Highlighted in GAO Report [February 8, 2008]
Akaka Introduces Cost-of-Living Increase for Disabled Veterans [February 8, 2008]
Akaka Votes to Support Senate Stimulus Package [February 7, 2008]
Akaka Responds to Reports About Fort Drum [February 7, 2008]
Feinstein, Akaka, Dicks and Grijalva Urge Interior Secretary to Retain Reagen-Era Restrictions on Loaded Firearms in America's Natonal Parks and Wildlife Refuges [February 7, 2008]
Statement Marking Senator Inouye's 15,000 Vote in the United States Senate [February 6, 2008]
Hearing on Veterans' Rehabilitation [February 5, 2008]
Senators Call for Improved Compensation for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury [February 5, 2008]
Proposed Veterans' Budget Would Scale Back Recent Gains for Veterans [February 4, 2008]
More than $7.8 Million in Homeland Security Funds for Hawaii, Akaka and Inouye Announce [February 1, 2008]