Reps. Pisciottano and Brown introduce effort to increase stipend for veterans
Rep. Amen Brown January 25, 2021 | 2:01 PM
HARRISBURG, Jan. 25 – State Reps. Nick Pisciottano and Amen Brown are leading an effort to boost the state stipend for veterans who are blind, paralyzed or amputees due to their military service. The $150 monthly stipend has not seen an increase for more than two decades.
Pisciottano, D-Allegheny, and Brown, D-Philadelphia, said they plan on introducing legislation that would increase the monthly stipend disabled veterans receive to $200 per month. Based on rising costs and inflation, the current $150 a month these veterans receive is worth about $98 a month, reflecting a 34% decrease in value.
“These men and women gave so much in service to our country and to keep each one of us safe, including the loss of their sight and their mobility,” said Pisciottano. “Each one of them who suffered life-altering, debilitating injuries is truly deserving of a long-overdue increase to this benefit, a benefit that is well within our state’s budgetary means. I’m proud to partner with Representative Brown to make this happen and I anticipate more of our colleagues will sign on to support this worthwhile effort to provide this assistance to our disabled veterans.”
“Our veterans deserve our deep gratitude and a salute for their service and for keeping our imperfect democratic republic safe.” Brown said. “However, what veterans deserve – and need more – is real, tangible assistance from our state and federal government. To advance on this agenda, I am proud to introduce and co-sponsor legislation which will raise the monthly stipend of those veterans who have sacrificed more than time in service -- they sacrificed their physical health for our shared safety. This bill is the definition of nonpartisan legislative action, and I hope that we are able to not only pass it in the House but deliver it to the governor’s desk and ensure that our veterans receive the assistance they deserve. It’s the very least we can do, so let’s do this!”
More information on the measure can be found at this link: https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20210&cosponId=34343.