House Acts to Hike Disabled Veterans’ Aid : Benefits: 5.4% cost-of-living increase is seen as reassuring troops fighting in gulf.

In an indirect show of support for U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf, the House voted Wednesday to approve a 5.4% cost-of-living increase in benefits paid to disabled veterans and their survivors. The vote was 421 to 0.

Several advocates said that passage of the bill would send a reassuring message to the troops participating in Operation Desert Storm that Congress will not forget them when the war with Iraq is over.

The measure was sent to the Senate, which was expected to approve it today and then forward it to President Bush for his signature. The Administration, leaders of both parties and major veterans’ organizations strongly supported the bill.

Sponsors said the cost-of-living adjustment would be retroactive to Jan. 1. The amounts owed for January and February will be sent to eligible veterans with their March compensation checks.

The bill was placed on a fast track this year after Congress failed to extend cost-of-living protection for disabled veterans because of a dispute between the House and the Senate in the closing days of the 101st Congress in late October.

As a result of a legislative standoff over compensation for soldiers exposed to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War, the Senate refused to act on a House-approved bill to provide the increase last year.

The bill approved by the House Wednesday would guarantee that disabled veterans--along with Social Security recipients and federal government retirees--will get a 5.4% benefit increase for the entire year.

Rep. G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said that swift adoption of the bill “will send a strong message to veterans of preceding wars and tell tens of thousands of troops in Operation Desert Storm that we support them all the way.”

About 2.5 million veterans with service-connected disabilities or surviving dependents receive monthly compensation checks. Congress’ failure to act during the last session deprived them of a cost-of-living increase that took effect Jan. 1 for others.