Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 1767, as amended, a bill that will help some veterans have their earned GI Bill benefits restored in cases of fraud.

The language before us is a narrower fix than our committee considered last summer, so while I will be supporting this bill, I want to send a message to some student veterans who, unfortunately, won't be helped by this legislation today. We hear them. We will not stop working on a comprehensive fix for all student veterans impacted by fraudulent actors in higher education.

I thank Representative Ramirez for her tireless efforts on behalf of student veterans. From her first days in Congress, she has put student veterans first, and it is only right that she can lead the House in restoring benefits for our student veterans.

I thank Chairman Bost for working with us on this language to get it to a place where he can support it. I look forward to working with him and his staff on improving this bill in the Senate to ensure that no student veterans are left out.

It is, frankly, quite disappointing and shocking that student veterans lack the same access to relief that student loan borrowers have generally. At a minimum, our veterans deserve the same protections that traditional student loan borrowers can receive, especially when an educational institution closes, is suspended, or has terminated a program due to a determination of fraud.

This bill does not get us all the way there, but I refuse to let perfect be the enemy of the good. This bill will help student veterans.

Madam Speaker, for that reason, I urge support, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Ramirez), who is my very good friend and a coauthor of this important piece of legislation. She also serves on the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee and the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, in closing, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1767, as amended, the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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