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Moore, Senate ensure veterans will not be left out in the cold
November 23, 2007...On the heels of $15 million in approved emergency state heating assistance for elderly residents and low-income families, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, and his colleagues in the Senate passed a bill on Tuesday which will provide additional fuel benefits this winter for hundreds of veterans across the Commonwealth. “We cannot leave our veterans out in the cold,” said Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth. “Our veterans have served our country and protected our freedoms. They should certainly have the ability to heat their homes.” The Senate’s bill would require an additional $3.9 million annually, ensuring for the first time that fuel benefits for veterans and their dependents have a statutory minimum level instead of a discretionary annual review. “I am honored that my colleagues and I in the Senate continue to bring these essential benefits to our veterans,” said Moore. “This is just another token of our deep appreciation for their valiant service to the people of Massachusetts and indeed the United States. It is essential that that we recognize the sacrifices our veterans and their families have made and that we do all we can to continue meeting their needs, which includes heating their homes.” The cost of heating oil has increased 117 percent in the last seven years. Allowances in veteran benefits for fuel, however, have not kept pace – showing only a 12 percent increase during the same time period. This, along with a jump in property taxes and mortgage rates, has resulted in a disproportional burden on veterans. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives. For more information on benefits for veterans, as well as Sen. Moore’s veterans related legislation, please visit www.senatormoore.com/veterans. |
