PENDING NON-SERVICE-CONNECTED PENSION

LEGISLATION

TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1973

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION AND PENSIONS, COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 10:15 a.m., pursuant to call, in room 334, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Olin E. Teague of Texas [chairman of the subcommittee] presiding.

Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. The subcommittee will come to order. We are meeting this morning to start several days of hearings on the subject of non-service-connected pensions for veterans and the dependents of veterans. I note that there are pending on the committee's calendar over 130 separate bills dealing with all aspects of the pension program, a large number of which, as you might suspect, endeavor to cope with the adverse impact of the 20 percent social security increase on the amount of pension payable by the Veterans' Administration.

At the outset, we cannot predict specific actions that might stem from these hearings, But I can give assurance that this subcommittee, and I am sure subsequently the full committee, will give very careful and serious consideration to come up with reasonable answers that will be equitable toward the veteran and his dependents and yet keep in mind the responsibility we have to the taxpayer in general.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Hammerschmidt, the ranking Republican member of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee.

Mr. HAMMERSCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that hearings on the subject of pensions for veterans and dependents are now underway. As you have stated earlier, there are more than 130 bills relating to pensions. They have been referred to the subcommittee for consideration during these hearings. Many of these are cosponsored by several Members. This number of bills in itself indicates the great interest on the part of the Members of the House of Representatives in revising the pension program. I am hopeful that these hearings will result in the approval of a bill to alleviate the plight of the pensioner who is presently living on a very modest income.

I should also like to recognize the fact that we are very fortunate to have the leadership and guidance on this subcommittee of the longtime distinguished former chairman of the full Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the Honorable "Tiger" Teague, and I am confident that the knowledge and experience of the gentleman from Texas will be invaluable to the subcommittee in its deliberations.

(667)

Mr. TEAGUE of Texas. I appreciate the kind words of the gentleman from Arkansas and without objection all the bills pending will be placed in the record, along with the reports thereon, and other pertinent data.

[The data referred to follows:]

Bill No.

H.R. 100.
H.R. 304.

H.R. 321

H.R. 439
H.R. 519.

H.R. 646.
H.R. 647.

H.R. 876.

H.R. 902.
H.R. 961.
H.R. 1038_.
H.R. 1134.
H.R. 1155.
H.R. 1305.

H.R. 1306_.

H.R. 1471.
H.R. 1492_.

Sponsor

Mr. Fraser.
Mr. Bennett.
Mr. Bingham.
Mr. Danielson.
Mr. Flynt.
Mr. Hosmer.
Mr. Hosmer.

Mr. Nichols.
Mr. Pettis.
Mr. Rarick.
Mr. Roe.
Mr. Roybal.
Mr. Saylor.

Mr. Young of Florida.
Mr. Young of Florida.
Mr. Anderson of California.
Mr. Fraser.

Cosponsors:

Mrs.Abzug, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Badillo, Mr.. Boland, Mr. Brademas, Mr. Brasco, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Burke of Mass., Mr. Carney, Mr. Clark, Mr. Conte, Mr. Drinan, Mr. Edwards of Calif., Mr. Eilberg, Mr. Flowers, Mr. Wm. D. Ford, Mr. Forsythe, Mr. Gude, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Jones of N.C., Mr. Koch, Mr. Meeds, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Nedzi, and Mr. Obey. Mr. Fraser.

Cosponsors:

Mr. Addabbo, Mr. Bevill, Mr. Denholm, Mr. Duncan,
Mr. Esch, Mr. Evins of Tenn., Mr. Fish, Mr. Fuqua,
Mr. Green of Pa., Mr. Hechler of W. Va., Mr. Mc-
Dade, Mr. Podell, Mr. Pepper, Mr.. Preyer, Mr.
Rarick, Mr. Reuss, Mr. Roe, Mr. Rosenthal, Mr.
Sarbanes, Mr. Jas. V. Stanton, Mr. Steele, Mr.
Tiernan, Mr. Waldie, Mr. Chas. H. Wilson of
Calif.

Mrs. Griffiths.
Mr. Helstoski.
Mr. Helstoski.
Mr. Quillen.
Mr. Roberts.
Mr. Fraser.

Cosponsors:

Mr. Bell, Mr. Byron, Mr. Burke of Fla., Mr. Corman,
Mr. Cronin, Mr. Dan Daniel, Mr. Dominick
Daniels,, Mr. De Lugo, Mr. Frey, Mrs. Hansen of
Wash., Mr. Hastings, Mr. Howard, Mr. Lehman,
Mrs. Mink, Mr. Minish, Mr. Moorhead of Pa., Mr.
Moss, Mr. Murphy of Ill., Mr. Nelsen, Mr. Podell,
Mr. Randall, Mr. Rhodes, Mr. Shipley, and Mr.
Stokes.

Mr. Fraser.

Cosponsors:

Mr. Davis of Ga., Mr. Fountain, Miss Jordan, Mr.
Kemp, Mr. McCormack, Mr. McKinney, Mr. Mal-
lary, Mr. Moakley, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Taylor of N.C.,
Mr. Thompson of N.J., Mr. Vanik, and Mr. Yates.
Mr. Rogers.
Mr. Saylor.

Mrs. Chisholm, Mr. Breckinridge, Mr. Hawkins, Mr.
Leggett, Miss Holtzman, Mr. Macdonald, Mr. Ran-
gel, Mr. Seiberling, Mr. Slack, Mr. Widnall, Mr.
Won Pat, and Mr. Zwach.

H.R. 2357.
H.R. 2366_
H.R. 2367.
H.R. 2400.
H.R. 2421.
H.R. 2484.
H.R. 2659.
H.R. 2673.

H.R. 2686___.

H.R. 2687___

H.R. 2688----

H.R. 2793__
H.R. 2794_
H.R. 2823.

H.R. 2907.
H.R. 2941.
H.R. 2975-

H.R. 2992-‒‒‒‒

H.R. 3015-----
H.R. 3016___
H.R. 3134_--
H.R. 3173___
H.R. 3246_

H.R. 3267-‒‒‒‒

Mr. Roy and Mr. Nix.

Mr. Fraser.

Cosponsors:

Mr. Bergland, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Grover,
Mr. Mann, and Mr. Owens.

Mr. Mathis.
Mr. Miller.
Mr. Miller.
Mr. Railsback.
Mr. Scherle.
Mr. Wyatt.
Mr. Collier.
Mr. Fraser.

Cosponsors:

Mr. Melcher.

Mr. Hillis.
Cosponsors:

Mr. McDade, Mr. Johnson of Calif., Mr. Thone, Mr.
Young of Fla., Mr. Edwards of Calif., Mr. Kemp,
Mr. Jones of N.C., Mr. Waldie, Mr. Shipley, Mr.
Green of Pa., Mr. Sikes, Mr. Ullman, Mr. Harvey,
Mr. Quie, Mr. Mollohan, Mr. Clark, Mr. Erlenborn,
Mr. Eshleman, Mr. Zion, Mr. Blackburn, Mr. Latta,
Mr. Powell of Ohio, Mr. Podell, and Mr. Won Pat.
Mr. Hillis.
Cosponsors:
Mr. Matsunaga, Mr. Mayne, Mr. Murphy of N.Y., Mr.
Fascell, Mr. Zwach, Mr. Williams, Mr. Guyer, Mr.
Johnson of Pa., Mr. Hudnut, Mr. Myers, Mr. Han-
sen of Idaho, Mr. Baker, Mr. Hastings, Mrs.
Chisholm, Mr. Sisk, Mr. Flood, Mr. Whitehurst,
Mr. Veysey, Mrs. Burke of Calif., Mr. Rinaldo, Mr.
Downing, Mr. Cleveland, Mr. Yatron, and Mr.
Railsback.

Mr. Hillis.
Cosponsors:

Mr. Coughlin, Mr. Davis of Ga., Mr. Roe, and Mr.
Brasco.

Mr. Biaggi.
Mr. Biaggi.

Mr. Dorn.

Mr. Teague of Texas.

Mr. Wylie.

Mr. Dorn.
Mr. Hillis.

Cosponsors:

Mr. Bennett, Mr. Sarasin, Mr. Froelich, and Mr.
Chappell.

Mr. Teague of Texas.
Mr. Teague of Texas.

Mr. Gaydos.

Mr. Sikes.

Mr. Clawson, Del.

Mr. Fraser.

Cosponsors:

Mr. Harrington, Mrs. Burke of Calif., Mr. Veysey, and Mr. Mosher.

H.R. 4803_
H.R. 4817.
H.R. 4868_
H.R. 4899.

Mr. Brown of California, Mr. Corman, Mr. Dellums, Mr. Hanna, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Johnson of California, Mr. Leggett, Mr. Moss, Mr. Rees, Mr. Roybal, Mr. Sisk, Mr. Stark, Mr. Van Deerlin, Mr. Waldie, Mr. Charles H. Wilson of California, Mr. Montgomery, and Mr. Wolff.

Mr. Karth.
Mr. McDade.
Mr. Shriver.
Mr. Baker.