CA Congressional Delegation Shows Support for HR 551...
Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:16 pm
NEWS FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
California’s Congressional Delegation Shows Its Support For HR 551
Veterans Affairs Secretary Tom Johnson announced today that three more members of California’s Congressional Delegation have signed on as cosponsors of HR 551, “The Home Ownership for America’s Veterans Act of 2007.”
Now, 51 of the current 52 members of U.S. House of Representatives from California are cosponsors of HR 551 (there are 53 districts, but one is vacant and will be filled by a special election on August 21, 2007). The only California Congress Member who is not a cosponsor is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who, in following a long-standing tradition as Speaker, does not generally cosponsor legislation before the House. In addition to this Congressional support, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has written a letter in strong support of HR 551.
“I want to thank our statewide Veterans Service Organizations who have worked tirelessly to obtain these cosponsors,” said Secretary Johnson. “They made countless visits to the offices of the members, both in Washington DC and California. They sent faxes and emails and made many telephone calls. Their hard work has made this achievement possible. Now we have these cosponsors, but we still need to get the bill enacted. Our work is not finished.”
HR 551, introduced by Congresswoman Susan Davis (D- San Diego) and Congressman Wally Herger (R- Redding) in January 2007, will allow recently discharged wartime veterans to take advantage of the CalVet home loan program administered by the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
Five states – Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin – offer veterans home loans financed by Qualified Veterans Mortgage Bonds. Current federal law requires veterans to have served on active military duty prior to January 1, 1977 to be eligible for mortgages financed through these bonds. In each Congress since the 102nd in 1991-92, these five states have asked Congress to repeal this provision. The five states have argued that veterans who served during the Gulf War and the current Global War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan are being denied a benefit that was available to veterans who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
Last year, federal legislation was enacted to remove this restriction and open eligibility for all wartime veterans in Alaska, Oregon, and Wisconsin. However, the 1977 restriction remains in effect in California and Texas.
HR 551 would eliminate the enlistment date restriction for eligible veterans in California and Texas, thus giving all wartime veterans in California and Texas the same benefit provided to wartime veterans in Alaska, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Thebill would also add an inflation adjustment schedule to increase the bond limit for each participating state, beginning in 2011.
"We owe our younger veterans a tremendous debt of gratitude for the contributions they have made to our state and for their dedicated service to our country in recent military conflicts," said Johnson. “The passage of HR 551 will honor our commitment to recently discharged California veterans.”
For more information on HR 551 visit http://www.cdva.ca.gov/calvet/hr551.asp
California Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans News
Contact: J.P. Tremblay
Jerry Jones
Jaime Arteaga
Legislation and Public Affairs
916-653-2192
Fax 916-653-2611
August 10, 2007
California’s Congressional Delegation Shows Its Support For HR 551
Veterans Affairs Secretary Tom Johnson announced today that three more members of California’s Congressional Delegation have signed on as cosponsors of HR 551, “The Home Ownership for America’s Veterans Act of 2007.”
Now, 51 of the current 52 members of U.S. House of Representatives from California are cosponsors of HR 551 (there are 53 districts, but one is vacant and will be filled by a special election on August 21, 2007). The only California Congress Member who is not a cosponsor is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who, in following a long-standing tradition as Speaker, does not generally cosponsor legislation before the House. In addition to this Congressional support, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has written a letter in strong support of HR 551.
“I want to thank our statewide Veterans Service Organizations who have worked tirelessly to obtain these cosponsors,” said Secretary Johnson. “They made countless visits to the offices of the members, both in Washington DC and California. They sent faxes and emails and made many telephone calls. Their hard work has made this achievement possible. Now we have these cosponsors, but we still need to get the bill enacted. Our work is not finished.”
HR 551, introduced by Congresswoman Susan Davis (D- San Diego) and Congressman Wally Herger (R- Redding) in January 2007, will allow recently discharged wartime veterans to take advantage of the CalVet home loan program administered by the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
Five states – Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin – offer veterans home loans financed by Qualified Veterans Mortgage Bonds. Current federal law requires veterans to have served on active military duty prior to January 1, 1977 to be eligible for mortgages financed through these bonds. In each Congress since the 102nd in 1991-92, these five states have asked Congress to repeal this provision. The five states have argued that veterans who served during the Gulf War and the current Global War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan are being denied a benefit that was available to veterans who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
Last year, federal legislation was enacted to remove this restriction and open eligibility for all wartime veterans in Alaska, Oregon, and Wisconsin. However, the 1977 restriction remains in effect in California and Texas.
HR 551 would eliminate the enlistment date restriction for eligible veterans in California and Texas, thus giving all wartime veterans in California and Texas the same benefit provided to wartime veterans in Alaska, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Thebill would also add an inflation adjustment schedule to increase the bond limit for each participating state, beginning in 2011.
"We owe our younger veterans a tremendous debt of gratitude for the contributions they have made to our state and for their dedicated service to our country in recent military conflicts," said Johnson. “The passage of HR 551 will honor our commitment to recently discharged California veterans.”
For more information on HR 551 visit http://www.cdva.ca.gov/calvet/hr551.asp
California Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans News
Contact: J.P. Tremblay
Jerry Jones
Jaime Arteaga
Legislation and Public Affairs
916-653-2192
Fax 916-653-2611
August 10, 2007