VFW Lauds Unanimous House Passage of Forever GI Bill
Senate now needs to swiftly pass education improvements
NEW ORLEANS (July 25, 2017) — The U.S. House of Representatives last night showed unquestionable, bipartisan commitment to America’s student veterans by voting 405-0 to pass H.R 3218, the #ForeverGIBill.
“The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States salutes the House for their unanimous support to improve veterans’ educational benefits,” said VFW National Commander Brian Duffy. “The vote proves that no matter the political party or ideology, our elected officials are taking care of those who have worn our country’s uniform.”
Strongly supported by the VFW, H.R. 3218 addresses current gaps in Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility and coverage. It ensures more veterans and their survivors have an opportunity to pursue their educational goals, such as Purple Heart recipients who do not have the requisite three years of active service; veterans attending schools that close abruptly through no fault of their own; thousands of involuntarily activated Reservists and Guardsmen; surviving family members; and it eliminates the 15-year use-or-lose limitation, which means veterans truly have a lifetime to use their GI Bill.
“The House vote is a huge step forward, but we still need the Senate to swiftly take up and pass these vital educational improvements” said Duffy. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is scheduled to markup its version of the #ForeverGIBill on Wednesday.
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ABOUT THE VFW: The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans’ organization. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With nearly 1.7 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in almost 6,500 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans’ service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at www.vfw.org