Page 12 - Desert Oracle June 2020

effort to limit the chance of transmitting the virus, most House and Senate floor votes have been
stalled or cancelled in recent weeks, and most committee work shifted to online forums.

Veterans, military retirees to see a 1.6 percent cost-of-living
boost in benefits
The boost is below the 2.8 percent increase beneficiaries saw last year.

By: Leo Shane III

But the veterans COLA bill — sponsored by Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va. — was approved by a voice vote

Thursday morning by the full House, without objection. She is hopeful the Senate can take up the
measure quickly as well.

“I haven’t heard of any problems or hold ups with the bill,” she said. “This wouldn’t go into effect
until December, so we’re well ahead of schedule. But I don’t anticipate any problems.”

Veterans benefits covered include disability compensation, compensation for dependents, clothing
allowances, and dependency and indemnity compensation checks.

The measure is typically just a formality — it passed Congress last year with no opposition — but is
required annual work for lawmakers because federal statute does not guarantee annual COLA

increases for the veterans benefits, as it does for Social Security.

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