WASHINGTON - The Filipino Veterans Equity Bill - which seeks to restore the pension rights of the surviving Filipino World War II veterans (currently 6,000 in the U.S. and 12,000 in the Philippines) that were rescinded by the 1946 Rescission Act - made unprecedented gains last year. But, according to a veteran Capitol Hill lobbyist, "the Filipino veterans are unfortunately caught in the crosshairs of the anti-immigrant, anti-foreigner mindset of the Republicans."

Last year, for the first time, the Veterans Affairs committees of both houses of Congress passed separate versions of the bill, setting the stage for a full vote in their respective floors. On Nov. 7 and again on Dec.12, Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai‘i, sought unanimous consent from his Senate colleagues for his bill to go straight to a floor vote. On both occasions, Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, rebuffed his request: "First of all, they (the 12,000 Philippine-based veterans) do not live in this country; they are not U.S. citizens. They are taking money away from our veterans. That is the ‘Robin Hood in reverse' effect. At least Robin Hood, when he took money, left it in Nottingham. He spread it out amongst his own. Here we are taking money from our own and sending it all the way to the Philippines."

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the ranking Republican in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said providing pension benefits to Filipino veterans is "the wrong priority at the wrong time": "[It] would take money away from helping veterans of war - of the war on terror - and instead send the money overseas," Burr said.

Sen. Burr this past week introduced a bill that deletes pension benefits for Filipino veterans in the Philippines and instead boosts funds for grants to wounded U.S. veterans, providing retroactive payments between $25,000 and $100,000 to all disabled veterans who were injured since 2001 - and not just in a war zone.

The equity bill that passed the House Veterans Committee, chaired by Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., proposed a $90 million annual package that would provide $900 a month to U.S.-based Filipino vets and $500 a month to Philippine-based veterans (the Senate version proposed a $50 million package that would provide $900 a month to vets in the U.S. and $300 a month to those in the Philippines).

Seeking a congressional compromise that would ensure passage of the bill has been complicated, according to one congressional staffer, by the mixed messages coming from the Filipino American community. Veterans groups like the American Coalition for the Filipino Veterans favor working on a bill that can actually get through Congress, while veterans support groups like the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity "oppose any efforts to weaken the [Filner] bill."

As of a week ago, Filner's equity bill had only 110 sponsors in the House, 96 Democrats and 14 Republicans. This week, the number was reduced by two, with the death of long-time supporter Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., and the decision by Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va, to have her name removed from the list of sponsors.

The Akaka bill has only 16 sponsors, 15 Democrats and one Republican, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. Akaka is confident that he can get all the Democratic senators to support his bill. The House is waiting for the Senate to act on the Akaka bill before considering the Filner bill.

Funding is also an issue. Speaker Nancy Pelosi's PAYGO (pay-as-you-go) rule compels new spending or tax changes to not add to the federal deficit, and for new bills to be either "budget neutral" or offset with savings derived from existing funds. Pelosi and Filner have to work together to identify the pot from which the Filipino veterans bill can be funded.

Meanwhile, officials of the veterans group American Legion have expressed willingness to meet with Philippine Ambassador Willie Gaa to discuss dropping their opposition to the equity bill, if supporters can assure the Legion that funds for the bill will not be taken away from funds for U.S. veterans.

As the debate over the equity bill continues on Capitol Hill, the American Coalition for the Filipino Veterans paused to mourn 15 of its veteran members who died in the last month. These veterans had actively participated in various mass actions in support of the bill, but sadly will not be around to see it passed.

Filipino Vets In The Crosshairs