When I was appointed to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I promised to be an advocate for our servicemen and women. Specifically, as Chairman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, I’m committed to improving the access and delivery of their benefits including housing, postsecondary education, and job training and employment.

I’ve recently introduced multiple pieces of legislation to expand opportunities for our Active Duty servicemembers, Reservists, National Guardsmen, and veterans:

• The Reserve and National Guard Military Leave Enhancement Act, which will increase the rate of leave at a federal job for members of the Reserve or National Guard from 15 days to 30 days.
• The Ensuring Military Access to Higher Education Benefits Act, which will streamline the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program application process to make it easier for current and former military servicemembers to have their direct student loans forgiven
• The MGIB-SR Tuition Fairness Act, which will require public higher education institutions to charge in-state tuition rates for veterans using their Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserves

The government should make it easier, not more difficult, for those who have served our nation to succeed. These three bipartisan bills will help alleviate some of the barriers they face and honor our commitment to the brave folks who have answered the call to defend our nation.

As a reminder, if you are a veteran seeking assistance with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, please don’t hesitate to contact my Eau Claire office at (715) 831-9214.