More Help Needed on Filipino War Veterans Legislation

From Lillian Galedo:

CALL TO ACTION: Please Contact Members of the House to Support Filipino Veterans Before Congress Recess in August

Dear Friends:

The House of Representatives will be adjourning for its August recess in a few weeks.  If the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act S. 1315 (which contains provisions to restore US veterans status to Filipino WWII veterans) is not brought to the House floor for a vote soon, it will become increasingly more difficult to bring it to floor vote after Congress resumes in September.  We could be forced to wait until a new Congress convenes in 2009, and START ALL OVER AGAIN.  While we have been very successful in recent weeks to confirm 40 more YES votes from the House of Representatives, WE NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK THIS WEEK FOR WHAT MAY BE OUR LAST PUSH.

In less than 5 minutes, you will impact this campaign immensely. Please ACT NOW!

What YOU can do today:

1. Call the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to any member of Congress at their DC office. You can also find information on your particular Representative by clicking here.

Tell them: "I urge Congressmember [insert name] to pass the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act. This bill (S. 1315) includes provisions to restore US veteran status for Filipinos and provide them with the resources they need to live out the remainder of their lives with the honor and dignity their service to this country in World War II deserves. The Senate passed S. 1315 last April in a 96 to 1 vote, and it is now time for the House to act."

2. Organize your friends, families and colleagues to do the same.

Below are additional talking points and a sample letter:

The legislation as amended, not only restores veterans status to Filipino WWII veterans, it also provides a range of benefits for ALL veterans and does NOT take a dime from any current veteran.
July 26th is the anniversary of President Roosevelt's induction of Filipinos into services under US command to fight alongside US soldiers in WWII.
The 1946 Rescission Act took away US Veteran status for Filipino WWII vets and we need to right this wrong and give them the honor and recognition they deserve.
Nationals from more than 60 other countries who also served under US command during WWII received US veteran status--Filipinos were singled out for discriminatory treatment.

Sample Letter for the House of Representatives:

Dear Representative:

We are writing to request your support for S. 1315, the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act.  S. 1315 includes a range of benefits improvements for ALL veterans in areas such as insurance, health care and education. It will also restore US veteran status for Filipino WWII soldiers who served under US command during WWII.

Time is running out for this bill, and we strongly urge your leadership on this important issue.  July 26 marks the 67th anniversary of President Roosevelt's Executive Order calling Filipino soldiers into the United States Armed Forces. This is an appropriate time to honor their service by passing legislation.

On April 24th, the Senate voted to pass this bill by the overwhelming bipartisan vote of 96-1 and it is time for the House to follow suit.  This bill is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE to our community and we call on you to support this bill in its current form, and to vote for it when it comes to a floor vote. We strongly urge you to oppose any efforts to weaken the provisions of the bill.

Out of the original 250,000 Filipino soldiers originally called to serve, only 18,000 remain, and the time is now to rectify the 62-year injustice done to these brave soldiers.  We call on you to restore full equity to our veterans so that they can live out their remaining years with the full measure of honor befitting their service to this country.

For more information about the bill, or about the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity, contact Ben de Guzman, NAFVE Campaign Coordinator at nafve2007@gmail.com or by phone at (202) 422-4909.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

As a community, we must unite at this critical time to pass S.1315 in the House.  The remaining Filipino WWII veterans cannot wait much longer.

Equity for Filipino WWII Veterans! Mabuhay!

Lillian

Please call Lillian Galedo at (510) 465-9876, extension 308 with your questions.

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