Veterans' Disability Compensation and Housing Benefits Amendments of 1980 Statement on Signing H.R. 7511 Into Law.

Today I am very pleased to sign into law H.R. 7511, the Veterans' Disability Compensation and Housing Benefits Amendments of 1980. Consistent with the administration's recommendation, the bill provides significant cost-of-living increases in rates of compensation for over 2 1/4 million service-disabled veterans and over 375,000 of their survivors, effective October 1, 1980.

These benefits are an expression of our gratitude to the men and women who were injured or died as a result of service to their country. I am proud that annual increases in these benefits have been enacted during each year of my administration.

The bill will also benefit veterans by increasing maximum loan guaranties for the purchase of condominiums, conventional and mobile homes, and will permit veterans who have previously used their loan guaranty entitlements to take advantage of reduced lending rates. It also provides special housing grants for certain veterans who are blind or have lost the use of their hands as a result of service injuries.

I am pleased that H.R. 7511 does so much for the many Americans who have sacrificed for their country.