A follow-up note from last week: The final stimulus bill that passed the House and Senate did include $198 million for Filipino veterans of World War II.
There had been some doubt about whether the money would stay in the bill, because it had been targeted for removal by a group of centrist senators. But thanks mostly to Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, the money stayed in the final bill.
Filipino veterans living in the U.S. will get $15,000. Those living in the Philippines will get $9,000.
There had been some doubt about whether the money would stay in the bill, because it had been targeted for removal by a group of centrist senators. But thanks mostly to Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, the money stayed in the final bill.
Filipino veterans living in the U.S. will get $15,000. Those living in the Philippines will get $9,000.
why are the fliipinos getting this money??
if they get money so should the americans who were in ww11. and the soliders in the vietnam war also and the war going on now!!!!!!!!!
The Americans who were in previous wars DID get money in terms of pensions and various soldiers' benefits. (Remember the G.I. bill?) Soldiers now, especially ones right out of high school, have the option to get some of their college tuition paid for by the military when they are discharged by the military in addition to the various other benefits they already receive for their courageous efforts.
However, the Filipino soldiers in WWII did not get any compensation.
"The quest for compensation stems from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's decision in July 1941 to draft 140,000 soldiers from the Philippines, then an American colony.
A year later, Congress passed a law allowing Filipino soldiers to become U.S. citizens with full military benefits.
But in 1946, after Filipino soldiers fought and died with U.S. troops, President Truman signed two bills denying them citizenship as well as most veterans' benefits. The bills were postwar cost-saving measures that Truman said he regretted." (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008731205_stimvets11.html)
As much as I'm against this porkulus bill and all of its insane provisions, this is at least one thing that didn't make me stomach turn completely.
I mean, they did earn it - and it was promised to them. So good for them. But can you imagine the kind of fraud that is going to be happening in the Philippines by many claiming to be veterans?
Look, even though these guys deserve this, and have deserved it for some time, it should not be paid out of a "jobs stimulus" bill. This is not stimulating jobs growth, and it should not be in here. Why didn't they pass a bill for this on it's own merits. Things like these are why the American people feel "had". This stimulus bill is just big huge Democratic free for all. Democrats will pay for misleading us next time at the polls. It is becoming evident that they are a bunch of petty, lying bullies.