CAPAC Praises Obama Administration’s Efforts to Ensure Fair Compensation for Filipino Veterans

Washington, DC – Today, the Obama Administration announced the launch of a new Interagency Working Group created to ensure that Filipino veterans receive thorough and fair reviews when applying for compensation from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund. Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released the following statements in support of this announcement:

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32), CAPAC Chair: “October is Filipino American History Month, an important time to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of the Filipino American community to our nation’s liberty and prosperity. During World War II, over 250,000 Filipinos fought for our nation under the command of the U.S. military. As a proud co-sponsor of the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2011, I am committed to honoring these veterans for their service and ensuring that they receive the full benefits promised to them by the U.S. government.

“Veterans and advocates have fought for over six decades to earn recognition and compensation for Filipino veterans, and the issue has long been a top priority for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. President Obama signed the legislation that established the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, and today’s announcement reaffirms the President’s commitment to honoring these brave veterans for their sacrifices and service.”

Senator Daniel K. Akaka (HI): “The Filipino WWII veterans fought honorably and bravely under U.S. command and deserve to be remembered for their deeds. They fought for us and I have fought for them consistently over my career. I am so pleased that the Obama Administration is launching this new initiative to make sure all of these honorable veterans and their families receive the benefits awarded to them by Congress.”

Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15), CAPAC Chair Emeritus: “Over the past decade, and during my seven-year tenure as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Filipino American veterans and the unwavering communities that support them were a top priority for me.  I’ve fought for the brave Filipino World War II veterans throughout their struggle to gain full recognition of their courageous service to the United States and receive their promised and long-overdue benefits. 

“After more than sixty years of unrelenting resistance by the federal government, we are finally witnessing significant strides to restore justice to the Filipino veterans thanks to President Barack Obama. In the first days of Barack Obama’s presidency, he signed into law the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Now, with today’s announcement that the Obama Administration is creating an Interagency Working Group, President Obama shows that he continues to be a true champion for the Filipino World War II veterans.”

Rep. Barbara Lee, CAPAC Healthcare Taskforce Chair: "On behalf of the many Filipino Americans in my district, many of whom have fathers, uncles, and grandfathers who served under the U.S. flag during World War II, I am proud to have supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which contained a provision to fairly compensate Filipino American veterans of WWII. I am committed to ensuring that their service is honored with due compensation, and I encourage the families of Filipino Americans veterans of WWII who have not filed their claim to do so."

Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-12): “I support the administration’s efforts to ensure that VA claims and benefits are properly managed for Filipino Veterans of World War II. Ultimately, Congress needs to act to ensure that Filipino World War II veterans and their families are entitled to full benefits and compensation for their service, not the negotiated half-settlement currently afforded to them. Filipinos were American nationals when they fought in the war and they were promised full benefits by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A promise made, should be a promise kept. We have broken our promise and it’s time to make amends.”

Background

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) contained a provision that created the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensations Fund, which has approved over 18,000 claims to date. However, many Filipino veterans are still facing barriers to filing claims or believe that their claims were wrongly denied. In light of these concerns, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, in conjunction with the Office of Management and Budget, has announced the launch of an Interagency Working Group (IWG), drawing on officials from Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Army, and the National Archives and Record Administration.  The IWG will focus on ensuring that all applications by Filipino veterans are reviewed thoroughly and fairly. For more information, please refer to the official White House blog post announcing the new Interagency Working Group.

###

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and Members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Currently chaired by Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life since it was founded in 1994.