Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH-12) took over the lead sponsorship of House Resolution 464 (H.R. 464), legislation to speed up the benefits process for surviving families of totally disabled veterans who have passed away. A widow in his district has been waiting for more than nine months for benefits after her reapplication.
The current system requires Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) recipients to reapply regularly for the Veteran’s benefits. The paperwork and bureaucracy required often results in long waiting periods for families who have already lost their beloved veteran and have already been approved for DIC.
H.R. 464 was originally sponsored by Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC-03). Jones passed away on his 76th birthday, February 10, 2019, after entering hospice following surgery for a broken hip in January.
“Surviving families of veterans suffer enough. The last thing they need is to fill out a lengthy, grueling pile of paperwork that proves itself emotionally taxing and unnecessarily bureaucratic,” said Balderson in a press release. “My own constituent—the widow of a 9/11 soldier—has endured more than nine months without VA benefits thanks to this redundancy. That’s nine months too long for someone whose loved one served our nation honorably.”
In an exclusive statement to The Ohio Star, Congressman Balderson said:
I’m honored to be leading this legislation that was previously introduced by a colleague of mine who is no longer with us, Congressman Walter Jones.
This legislation will be crucial in alleviating the stress and anguish felt by the surviving families of disabled veterans, who are merely seeking their due benefits. These are the loved ones of American heroes who have served our nation with honor and dignity. These are the surviving spouses and children of those who have fought for our freedom, and our country has no higher commitment than to take care of them in return.
I’m particularly dedicated to this legislation because of the heart-wrenching story of one of my constituents, who is the widow of a soldier who answered the call to duty following the devastating 9/11 terrorist attacks. Before his service in the Army, this veteran deployed as a Marine in the 1970s, for a lifetime of nearly three decades of military service. This veteran’s love for our country clearly passed onto his sons, who also joined the Armed Forces.
We owe this family for their service to our country, and this bill will do just that. I hope to see it brought to a vote in the House.
While this bill is not currently scheduled for a vote on the House floor, I am committed to seeking co-sponsorship and support for it among my colleagues in the House of Representatives. I’m certain that all who read the bill will agree that it needs to be passed to continue to support America’s veterans and their families.
The bill is currently assigned to the House Veteran’s Affairs Committee.
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