STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1077-10

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

 

RE:   H.R. NO. 82

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Tourism, Culture, & International Affairs and Economic Revitalization, Business, & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.R. NO. 82 entitled:

 

"HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO EXPEDITE PAYMENT OF WAR BENEFITS TO FILIPINO VETERANS WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II BUT WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DENIED THEIR ENTITLED BENEFITS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this resolution is to work toward correcting the injustice done to Filipino veterans who fought in World War II by urging the President of the United States and Congress to expedite the processing of claims and payments to Filipino veterans under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

 

     During World War II, 250,000 Filipino soldiers fought side-by-side with United States soldiers against Japan after being promised full veterans benefits.  Congress reneged on this promise and denied veterans benefits to the World War II Filipinos after the war ended.  In 2009, more than 60 years later, ARRA authorized partial reparations for these veterans in the form of lump sum payments in lieu of the promised pensions.

 

     However, even with the enactment of ARRA, our nation may entirely lose the opportunity to correct the injustice done to the World War II Filipino veterans.  Only about 11,000 of these veterans, now in their 80s and 90s, are still alive, and many have yet to receive the ARRA payment.  This resolution urges the expeditious processing and payment of the ARRA reparations before it is too late.

 

     A concerned individual supported this resolution.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Tourism, Culture, & International Affairs and Economic Revitalization, Business, & Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.R. NO. 82 and recommend its adoption.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Tourism, Culture, & International Affairs and Economic Revitalization, Business, & Military Affairs,

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair

 

____________________________

JOEY MANAHAN, Chair