- Record: Extensions of Remarks
- Section type: Floor speeches
- Chamber: House
- Date: May 19, 2026
- Congress: 119th Congress
- Why this source matters: Extensions of Remarks are statements submitted for the official record, even if they were not spoken live on the floor.
HON. ED CASE
of hawaii
in the house of representatives
Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, during the consideration of the Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, the House was scheduled to vote on an amendment to eliminate the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund. I opposed the proposal, and even though it was ultimately not offered, we must oppose any similar effort to do so in the future.
Roosevelt's call-to-arms in the Philippines and elsewhere and fought bravely for the U.S. and our allies during World War II. They endured the horrors of the Bataan Death March and wartime prison camps. They waged a relentless guerrilla campaign and eventually rejoined American forces that eventually returned to the Philippines. Filipino soldiers ultimately paved the way for the liberation of the Pacific and the end of the Second World War.
only to be denied the benefits promised for their service. Because of the Rescission Acts of 1946, most Filipino World War II Veterans did not receive compensation on par with United States veterans for their service.
signed into law legislation that created the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund. It set up one-time payments to eligible Filipino veterans who aided American troops during World War II. Filipino veterans who were United States citizens were eligible for a one-time payment of $15,000, and veterans who are non-citizens were eligible for a one-time payment of $9,000.
Filipinos struggled to obtain the documentation needed to prove their eligibility given the many decades that passed since World War II. The federal government has held onto these funds to allow these veterans who fought for our Nation every chance possible to prove their service and receive a payment in the final years of their lives, to ease any hardships they may have and to pay off a small part of the debt owed to them for the benefits they earned, yet were taken away from them.
help those who struggled to obtain the document to prove their service. We must help and not again abandon these Filipino veterans, most of whom are now in their late 90s or over 100 years old.
I strongly urge all my colleagues to oppose this misguided effort.