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WASHINGTON, DC. – Today, the House passed legislation originally authored by Congressmen Henry E. Brown, Jr. (R-SC) and Mike H. Michaud (D-ME) that will allow for a dramatic increase in the monthly pension provided to the living Medal of Honor recipients through the Department of Veterans Affairs. There are currently 100 living recipients, nearly half of which received their Medals more than 50 years ago while serving in World War II or Korea. After passage of the legislation, Congressman Brown made the following statement:
“I am extremely pleased with the decision made by my colleagues today. The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest award for valor, and it is important to not only honor the remaining 100 living recipients, but to remember all of the Medals of Honor awarded, a number totaling nearly 3,500.
More than 140 years after the Medal of Honor was established in 1863, America’s men and women in uniform are still serving in harm’s way for the future security of our nation. This special pension increase will be a small step towards showing the proper recognition their heroic acts demand.”
The last time the Medal of Honor special pension was increased was in 2002, when it was raised from $600 to $1,000. The Brown/Michaud bill (H.R. 6980/H.R. 1137) will further increase the base amount of the pension to $2,000, subject to available appropriations.
The surviving Medal of Honor recipients range in age from 56 to 99. John Finn earned the Medal of Honor for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor and is the last living Medal Recipient from Pearl Harbor. The last living Recipient to be presented the Medal of Honor was Tibor Rubin, a Holocaust survivor who earned his Medal for actions during Korea. President Bush presented Rubin with the Medal at the White House on September 23, 2005.
In addition to authoring this important legislation for Medal of Honor recipients and their families, Congressman Brown supported legislation that passed the House to ensure that veterans, who have a service connected disability, have access to grant-level, premium term life insurance of up to $50,000 if they so desire it. S. 1315, the Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act, now goes back to the Senate for final passage before being sent to the President for his signature.
Congressman Brown is proud to serve as a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and is even more proud of the fact that that veterans funding has more than doubled since he took office in 2001. For more information about other veteran’s legislation authored or supported by Congressman Brown, visit his website: http://brown.house.gov/Issues/veterans.html.
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