Hon. John Sparkman, a U.S. Senator from the State of Alabama.. Hon. Barry Goldwater, a U.S. Senator from the State of Arizona_ Hon. Daniel K. Inouye, a U.S. Senator from the State of Hawaii Odell W. Vaughn, Chief Benefits Director, Veterans' Administration, accompanied by James Taaffe, Director, Compensation and Pen- sion Service; Howard Bernstein, Assistant General Counsel; and William Holsberg, Chief of Prosthetics, Department of Medicine Charles L. Huber, national director of legislation, Disabled American Veterans, accompanied by William Flaherty and William Gardiner. Charles Mattingly, deputy director of the national legislative com- mission, accompanied by Edward H. Golembieski, director of na- tional veterans affairs and rehabilitation commission, the American Francis W. Stover, director, national legislative service, Veterans of James A. Maye, executive director, Paralyzed Veterans of America, accompanied by John Rine, Jr., national service director____ David L. Schnair, national service officer, Blinded Veterans Association, accompanied by Robert D. Carter, acting executive director and Dennis R. Wyant, national field service director_- Roney F. Hartley, national service and legislative director, American Hon. Vance Hartke, chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, from Fred E. Darling, executive coordinator for Military and Veterans Affairs, Non-Commissioned Officers Association of the United States of America, dated March 6, 1974. Hon. Herman E. Talmadge, chairman of Subcommittee on Com- James A. Maye, executive director, Paralyzed Veterans of Amer- 264 Hon. Strom Thurmond, a U.S. Senator from the State of South 148 Hon. Alan Cranston, a U.S. Senator from the State of California__ PENDING SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION LEGISLATION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1974 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 9:30 a.m., pursuant to notice, in room 412, the Russell Office Building, Senator Herman E. Talmadge, presiding. Present: Senators Herman E. Talmadge, chairman, Strom Thurmond, and Alan Cranston. Also present: Guy H. McMichael III, general counsel. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. HERMAN E. TALMADGE, CHAIRMAN OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS Senator TALMADGE. The subcommittee will please come to order. The Subcommittee on Compensation and Pensions of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs will hold hearings this morning on several bills. The primary bill is S. 3067, the Veterans Disability Compensation Act of 1974, offered by myself and cosponsored by every member of our committee, to raise disability compensation payments by some 15 percent and S. 3072, the Survivors Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Act of 1974, which is authored by Senator Hartke and cosponsored by every member of our committee to increase every dependency and indemnity compensation for survivors of veterans who died of service-connected causes benefits by 16 percent. A bill authored by Senator Cranston, S. 2363, related to increases in benefits and improvements in the chapter 39 automobile grant and adaptive equipment program for veterans and servicemen, will also be considered. There are other bills to be dealt with that I will not enumerate at this time. We will do our duty and see to it that our Nation's disabled veterans receive the benefits they need and deserve. At this point I ask that the bills upon which we are holding the hearing today be inserted in the record, together with the reports of the various governmental agencies, with departmental views, and without objection, any additional statements that have been submitted will be inserted in the record at appropriate places. [The text of bills previously referred to including introductory statements and agency reports thereof follows:] (1) 93D CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 3067 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 27, 1974 Mr. TALMADGE (for himself, Mr. HARTKE, Mr. HANSEN, Mr. RANDOLPH, Mr. HUGHES, Mr. CRANSTON, Mr. THURMOND, Mr. STAFFORD, and Mr. McCLURE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BİLL To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the rates of disability compensation for disabled veterans, and for other purposes. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That this Act may be cited as the "Veterans Disability 4 Compensation Act of 1974". 5 SEC. 2. (a) Section 314 of title 38, United States Code, 6 is amended— 7 8 II (1) by striking out "$28" in subsection (a) and inserting in lieu thereof "$32"; (Star Print) 2 (2) by striking out "$51" in subsection (b) and inserting in licu thereof "$59"; (3) by striking out "$77" in subsection (c) and inserting in lieu thereof "$89"; (4) by striking out "$106" in subsection (d) and inserting in licu thereof "$122"; (5) by striking out "$149" in subsection (e) and inserting in lieu thereof "$171"; (6) by striking out "$179" in subsection (f) and inserting in lieu thereof “$206”; (7) by striking out "$212" in subsection (g) and inserting in lieu thereof "$244"; (8) by striking out "$245" in subsection (h) and inserting in lieu thereof "$282"; (9) by striking out "$275" in subsection (i) and inserting in lieu thereof "$316"; (10) by striking out "$495" in subsection (j) and inserting in lieu thereof "$569"; (11) by striking out "$616" and "$862" in subsection (k) and inserting in lieu thereof "$708" and "$991", respectively. (12) by striking out "$616" in subsection (1) and inserting in lieu thereof "$708"; (13) by striking out "$678" in subsection (m) and inserting in lieu thereof "$780"; 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 3 (14) by striking out "$770" in subsection (n) and inserting in lieu thereof "$886"; (15) by striking out "$862" in subsections (0) and (p) and inserting in lieu thereof “$991"; (16) by striking out "$370" in subsection (r) and inserting in lieu thereof "$426"; and (17) by striking out "$554" in subsection (s) and inserting in lieu thereof "$637". (b) The Administrator of Veterans' Affairs may adjust 10 administratively, consistent with the increases authorized by 11 this section, the rates of disability compensation payable to 12 persons within the purview of section 10 of Public Law 8513 857 who are not in receipt of compensation payable pursu14 ant to chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code. 15 SEC. 3. Section 315 (1) of title 38, United States Code, 16 is amended (1) by striking out "$31" in subparagraph (A) and inserting in lieu thereof "$36"; (2) by striking out "$53" in subparagraph (B) and inserting in lieu thereof "$61"; (3) by striking out "$67" in subparagraph (C) and inserting in lieu thereof "$77”; (4) by striking out "$83" and "$15" in subparagraph (D) and inserting in lieu thereof "$95" and "$17", respectively; |