June 6, 2006
Media contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9126

(Washington, DC) Chairman Larry Craig announced today that the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs will meet this week to review legislation which seeks to provide additional benefits for the nation's veterans.

The hearing, titled, "Benefits Legislative Initiatives Currently Pending before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs," will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, Thursday, June 8.

The hearing will be webcast live, and archived for viewing later, at http://veterans.senate.gov. The hearing may also be audiocast ? during the hearing only ? on C-SPAN's hearings website, located at http://www.capitolhearings.org.

The legislation to be reviewed will be:

S. 2694

This bill would change a policy begun during the Civil War which currently prevents veterans from hiring lawyers until well into the appeals process. The change would allow a veteran to choose to hire a lawyer at any time. The legislation would not require veterans to hire lawyers ? only allow them that choice.

S. 2562

This bill would increase the amount of money veterans with service-connected disabilities will receive. The legislation will also increase the compensation for the survivors of some disabled veterans. If approved by Congress, the increase will become effective on December 1, 2006.

S. 2659

This bill would allow VA to provide grants to tribal organizations to assist in establishing, expanding, or improving veterans' cemeteries on trust lands owned by (or held in trust for) the tribal organization.

S. 2416

The bill would allow accelerated payments for veterans enrolled in education programs that last less than 2 years and lead to employment in a sector of the economy identified by the Department of Labor as high growth industries. In addition, these accelerated benefits would be available for such education programs offered by tribally controlled colleges or universities.

S. 3363

This bill would extend the current accelerated education payment program to survivors and dependents and would make survivors and dependents eligible for the expanded accelerated payment program, as envisioned in Sen. Burns' bill (S. 2416).

S. 2121

This bill would declare that within the same financial limitations as exist under the home loan program, VA may guarantee a loan for the purchase of stock or membership in a cooperative housing development, authorize guarantees, subject to regulations as prescribed by the Secretary, and require that the purchaser's stock entitle him or her to occupy only a single family residential unit.

Witnesses

? The Honorable Conrad R. Burns, United States Senator

? The Honorable Mike DeWine, United States Senator

Panel II

? Ronald Aument, VA Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits

Accompanied by John (Jack) Thompson, VA Deputy General Counsel

Panel III

? Quentin Kinderman, Deputy Director, National Legislative Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

? Richard F. Weidman, Director of Government Relations, Vietnam Veterans of America

? Barton F. Stichman, Co-Director, National Veterans Legal Services Program

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