Veterans - 108th Congress | Sanford Bishop For Congress

Recent Legislative Accomplishments

· LOWER DRUG COSTS

Cosponsored H.R. 627 - Cosponsored H.R.627 to suspend for five years the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the co-payment amount in effect for medication furnished by the Secretary on an outpatient basis for the treatment of non-service-connected disabilities and to provide an increase in the maximum annual rates of pension payable to surviving spouses of veterans of a period of war, and for other purposes.

Cosponsored H.R. 1309 - Cosponsored H.R. 1309 to provide improved prescription drug benefits for veterans.

EDUCATION

Fought for the Montgomery GI Bill Enhancement Act - Cosponsored H.R. 879, the Montgomery GI Bill Enhancement Act, to provide open-enrollment opportunity for active-duty service members who were eligible but did not enroll in the inferior Veterans Educational Assistance Program.

Fought to Increase the Amount of Basic Educational Assistance - Cosponsored H.R. 1212 to increase the amount of basic educational assistance for veterans under the Montgomery GI Bill, and to eliminate reductions of basic pay for eligibility for such assistance.

OTHER VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES

Supported POW Pensions - Cosponsored H.R. 850, Former POW Special Compensation Act, to establish a special pension for POWs.

Fought for Concurrent Receipt - Cosponsored and signed the discharge petition for H.R. 303 to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive both military retired pay by reason of their years of military service and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability ("concurrent receipt"). A later version of the provision was eventually included in the Defense Department Authorization Conference Report (H.R. 1588), which Congressman Bishop reluctantly voted for, as the provision leaves out most of the nation's 560,000 disabled military retirees.

Supported Various Veterans Benefits - Fought for the Veterans Benefits Entrepreneurship Act (H.R. 1460), which authorizes veterans, disabled veterans, certain dependent spouses and children, and members of the National Guard and the reserves to use Veterans Affairs Department (VA) education. - Agreed to by recorded vote: (2/3 required): 421 - 0 (Roll no. 304).

Fought for Additional VA Staff - Cosponsored H.R. 1951, VA Medical Workforce Enhancement Act, which would increase staffing levels, reduce nurse burnout and enhance patient safety by allowing greater flexibility in setting safe staffing levels. It would also enhance nurse retention and recruitment by improving the process for both nurse advancement and recognition.

Honored Vietnam POWs - Fought for H. Res. 62 recognizing the courage and sacrifice of those members of the United States Armed Forces who were held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict and calling for a full accounting of the 1,902 members of the Armed Forces who remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam conflict. - Agreed to by recorded vote: (2/3 required): 424 - 0 (Roll no. 25).

Fought for Recognition of Korean War Veterans - Cosponsored H.R. 1043 to grant the Korean War Veterans Association a federal charter, and to recognize and honor the 5.7 million Americans who fought and served during the Korean War.

Fought for POW Benefits Parity - Cosponsored H.R. 866 to provide for the payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who died on or before September 30, 1999, under the same eligibility conditions as apply to payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who die after that date.

Worked to Reduce VA Backlog - Cosponsored H.R. 1264, to provide for reduction in the backlog of claims for benefits pending with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans Day Statement - (11/5/03) Submitted statement in the Congressional Record in support of Veterans Day.