WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the bipartisan Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act—bipartisan legislation increasing veterans’ disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Ensuring Arizona veterans’ earned benefits keep up with rising costs will help veterans provide for their families and afford housing, utilities, food and clothes,” said Sinema.
The Sinema-Backed Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act increases the rates of VA disability compensation, dependency compensation for surviving children and spouses, and the clothing allowance for veterans based on rising costs of living. This cost-of-living adjustment is equal to the amount of the adjustment given to Social Security recipients.
Sinema also cosponsored the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act in 2019.
Sinema has long been a champion for Arizona veterans and servicemembers. Last year, Sinema’s LEGION Act, which extends American Legion membership to honorably discharged veterans since World War II, and her Protecting Affordable Mortgages for Veterans Act, which safeguards veterans from predatory loan practices and helps them more easily access their earned homeowner benefits, became law.
Last year, Sinema championed into law the bipartisan Sgt. Daniel Somers Network of Support Act, which was named after Sgt. Daniel Somers—an Arizona Army veteran who lost his life to suicide. Sinema’s bipartisan law requires the Department of Defense to work with the American Red Cross to collect from new servicemembers the names of loved ones they consider to be their networks of support. The Department of Defense will provide those individuals with information about benefits and services available to military members. Earlier this year, the Senate passed Sinema’s bipartisan Veterans Network of Support Act—legislation that ensures the VA has a similar system in place to help veterans thrive in civilian life.
