Derrick Van Orden: “I am honored to speak today on behalf of my legislation, H.R. 7323, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition…”

“I am honored to speak today on behalf of my legislation, H.R. 7323, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act. The bill holds special meaning to me because the issue was brought to my attention by one of my constituents, a fellow veteran, Mr. Greg Tremelling, during a Veterans Day listening session. His voice, along with many other reservists and veterans, made clear that we have to change our policies. This is how representative government should be, us listening to our constituents and acting on their behalf. I am proud to represent the brave men and women who serve at Fort McCoy and Volk Field who make sacrifices for us every day and for this Nation. We have to remember that three out of the last five servicemembers that were killed defending our country were reservists, the other two, of course, being my fellow Navy SEALS who were lost at sea. These servicemembers gave everything to defend our country, a solemn reminder that reservists face the same risks and make the same sacrifices as their Active-Duty counterparts, and their service must never be overlooked. By passing this bill, we are going to take steps to ensure parity between reservists and Active-Duty servicemembers. By addressing this key disparity in educational benefits, my legislation will provide reservists with greater access to affordable education.…”