Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, recently praised the committee for passing legislation he sponsored that would provide veterans with essential benefits and services.
“Our nation’s veterans selflessly give themselves to defend our freedoms, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we provide them with the benefits and services they need and deserve,” Burr said. “I commend Chairman [Bernie] Sanders and the members of the committee for giving several important pieces of legislation their due consideration.”
One of the bills, the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, would end the arbitrary process the government uses to strip veterans and other Department of Veterans Affairs beneficiaries of their Second Amendment rights to bear firearms if they are appointed a VA fiduciary to help them with their benefits.
The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013 would allow veterans’ benefits to rise in pace with inflation. Veterans would receive the same percentage cost-of-living adjustment that Social Security recipients get.
The Veterans’ Educational Transition Act of 2013 would require some public institutions of higher learning to offer veterans the same tuition that in-state students pay.
The Careers for Veterans Act would offer employment opportunities for those who served in uniform. The law would require the federal government to hire 15,000 veterans to fill existing vacancies over the next five years. The bill would help the nation’s veterans and their families by opening up career opportunities for them without adding to the national deficit.