{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=235041b4-c983-42cb-97c9-76b1e54f89e4", "Heller, Heitkamp Introduce Bill to Help Vulnerable Veterans Secure Housing", "2013-11-14", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "NV", "Dean Heller", "H001041", "www.heller.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2013. This bipartisan legislation would exempt a financial benefit for disabled veterans from being considered as income when applying for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing assistance. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides the aid and attendance benefit to veterans with little or no income.\r\n\u201cOur nation\u2019s disabled veterans have sacrificed their own well-being on our behalf. The benefits they receive for putting themselves in harm\u2019s way shouldn\u2019t make it more difficult for these men and women to find housing, which is why the aid and attendance benefit should not be counted as income,\u201d said Senator Dean Heller. \u201cI applaud my fellow Nevadan Congressman Heck for his work on this bill in the House of Representatives, and look forward to working with Senator Heitkamp to push this legislation through the Senate.\u201d\r\n\u201cAcross North Dakota, there is a significant housing shortage, which is making it even more difficult for our disabled vets to find a place to call home,\u201d said Senator Heidi Heitkamp. \u201cDisabled veterans bravely and selflessly served our country, and we should be able to guarantee that they will have a place to live when they return home.\u00a0 This legislation is necessary for us to live up to the commitments we made to support veterans after they dedicated their lives to fight for our country. I look forward to working with Senator Heller and my colleagues to give disabled veterans the benefits they deserve.\u201d\r\nBackground:\r\nThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) distributes the aid and attendance benefit as part of an enhanced pension program. The benefit is specifically designed for wartime veterans who are severely disabled and have little or no income. A number of these veterans also rely on housing assistance through HUD.\r\nUnder current law, the aid and attendance benefit is counted as income when determining eligibility for housing assistance through HUD, which ultimately reduces the availability of housing assistance for low-income, severely disabled vets. Heller and Heitkamp are seeking to exempt from consideration of income by HUD any expenses related to a veteran\u2019s aid and attendance benefit.\r\nSimilar legislation introduced by Representative Joe Heck (R-NV-3) passed the House of Representatives in October.\r\nThe Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)\u00a0 have endorsed Heller and Heitkamp\u2019s Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2013.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=235041b4-c983-42cb-97c9-76b1e54f89e4"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9084190241992474, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}