Madison Cawthorn: “Freedom is born through the sacrifice of patriots. We occupy this Chamber today and walk free among our countrymen…”

“Freedom is born through the sacrifice of patriots. We occupy this Chamber today and walk free among our countrymen because generation after generation of liberty-minded warriors surrendered their lives to the conviction that America was worth defending. Their blood, their sweat, and their sacrifice are the currency for our freedom. Their sacrifice must never be exploited. I am honored to bring before this Chamber today legislation that ends the exploitation of veterans' finances and taxpayer dollars. A loophole exists in the GI Bill that allows some public flight schools to charge exorbitant amounts of money to veterans and taxpayers for veterans' tuition. My legislation, the Fly Vets Act, not only stops this loophole dead in its tracks, but it empowers veterans and drastically expands their benefits. It allows them to pay for flight training through accelerated payments and allows them to double the monetary cap on both tuition and fees per year. This bill does not cut benefits in any way. It gives power back to our heroes in uniform. I thank the many VSOs who support this legislation, along with Congresswoman Underwood for encompassing this legislation in her bill and working with me across party lines to ensure that the exploitation of veterans and taxpayers ends today. ____________________”