Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5918, as amended, legislation to ensure veterans can recoup the money they paid into the Montgomery GI Bill. Under current law, veterans who do not fully access their Montgomery GI Bill can lose out on the payments they made into the program, in some cases totaling up to $1,200. The Montgomery GI Bill is in the process of being phased out for the more generous Forever GI Bill. Many veterans may not remember the $1,200 they paid into the program in the early days of their service or even be aware that they are entitled to a refund of the unused funds. The process to reclaim that $1,200 can be difficult, and there are times when the veteran can simply lose out on the money because they waited too long. This legislation eliminates that cumbersome process by making it so the veteran is repaid, no questions asked. The bill is fully offset and supported by the veterans service organization community, including by Student Veterans of America. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Banks) for his work on this legislation and the VSO community for bringing this issue to our committee. I urge the rest of my colleagues to support this legislation to ensure no veteran loses out on what is owed to them. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”