[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 54 (Thursday, April 3, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 3, 2003

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday April 1, 
2003, I meant to vote ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 96.
  I support H.R. 1412, the HEROES Act of 2003, a bipartisan bill 
recognizing the contributions of our men and women in uniform serving 
in the Middle East.
  Hundreds of thousands of the United States military personnel have 
been called upon to serve in active duty for ``Operation Iraqi 
Freedom.'' Some of our troops serving in this conflict are student 
reservists who were called up from their college campuses to serve 
their country, many of whom receive financial aid to help pay for their 
college education. While many other active military personnel are 
paying back their student loans.
  The Act extends waiver authority to the Secretary of Education to 
ensure that members of the Armed Services and students are not punished 
financially as a result of their voluntary service to our country at 
time of war, or a national emergency.
  While H.R. 1412 is a necessary and appropriate step, we should also 
recognize that Congress should be doing more to provide relief to our 
active military personnel. We should take additional steps such as 
allowing military personnel to defer their student loans while they are 
on active duty, so that military personnel would not be charged 
interest on their student loans for the duration of their active duty. 
We must do everything that we can to recognize and to reward the 
sacrifices of the courageous men and women who are fighting in 
``Operation Iraqi Freedom.''

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