[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 18, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5110-H5111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 VETERANS RAPID RETRAINING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RESTORATION AND RECOVERY 
                              ACT OF 2022

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 4089) to restore entitlement to educational assistance under 
Veterans Rapid Retraining Program in cases of a closure of an 
educational institution or a disapproval of a program of education, and 
for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 4089

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Rapid Retraining 
     Assistance Program Restoration and Recovery Act of 2022''.

     SEC. 2. RESTORATION OF ENTITLEMENT UNDER VETERANS RAPID 
                   RETRAINING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 8006 of the American Rescue Plan 
     Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2), as amended by the Training in 
     High-demand Roles to Improve Veteran Employment Act (Public 
     Law 117-16), is further amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (n) as subsection (o); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (m), the following new 
     subsection (n):
       ``(n) Effects of Closure of an Educational Institution or 
     Disapproval of a Program of Education.--
       ``(1) In general.--Any payment of retraining assistance 
     under subsection (d)(1) shall not be charged against any 
     entitlement to retraining assistance described in subsection 
     (a) if the Secretary determines that an individual was unable 
     to complete a course or program of education as a result of 
     --
       ``(A) the closure of an educational institution; or
       ``(B) the disapproval of a program of education by the 
     State approving agency or the Secretary when acting in the 
     role of the State approving agency.
       ``(2) Period not charged.--The period for which, by reason 
     of this subsection, retraining assistance is not charged 
     shall be equal to the full amount of retraining assistance 
     provided for enrollment in the program of education.
       ``(3) Halt of payments to certain educational 
     institutions.--In the event of a closure or disapproval, as 
     described in paragraph (1), the educational institution shall 
     not receive any further payments under subsection (d).
       ``(4) Recovery of funds.--In the event of a closure or 
     disapproval, as described in paragraph (1), any payment 
     already made under subsection (d) to the educational 
     institution shall be considered an overpayment and constitute 
     a liability of such institution to the United States.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--In subsection (b)(3) of such 
     section, strike the period and insert ``, except for an 
     individual described in subsection (n).''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply as if included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 
     2021 (Public Law 117-2).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to insert extraneous material on S. 4089.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 4089, the Veterans Rapid 
Retraining Assistance Program Restoration and Recovery Act.
  This legislation was introduced by Senator Durbin and passed by 
unanimous consent in the Senate. I also thank the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) for introducing this legislation in the 
House.
  Mr. Speaker, during the most difficult period of the COVID-19 
pandemic, Congress and President Biden worked together to pass the 
American Rescue Plan into law, one of the most significant investments 
in American workers and the American economy since the New Deal.
  The Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program, which was included 
in the American Rescue Plan, created a new program to retrain and 
employ unemployed veterans.
  Since passage, over 5,000 veterans have used this program, many to 
great

[[Page H5111]]

success. However, not every veteran has had the same experience. Some 
have been subject to school closures, which risk robbing them of this 
one-time benefit. For example, in Illinois, more than 300 veterans were 
scammed by a for-profit school that took their money and abruptly 
closed its doors.
  This legislation restores these education benefits to veterans 
defrauded by schools and gives these veterans a second chance to gain 
new skills in a booming labor market.
  I thank the Senate for getting this bill to us so quickly and Senator 
Durbin and Congressman Danny K. Davis for their leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this important 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 4089, the Veterans Rapid 
Retraining Assistance Program Restoration and Recovery Act.
  One of the few positive provisions that was enacted as part of the 
American Rescue Plan was the creation of the Veteran Rapid Retraining 
Assistance Program, or VRRAP. This program authorizes 1 year of GI 
Bill-style education benefits for training for an in-demand occupation 
for unemployed veterans.
  VRRAP was originally authored during the peak of COVID veteran 
unemployment by our former colleague Dr. Phil Roe and Congressman 
Levin. I was pleased to introduce the bill this year and was glad that 
it was made part of the American Rescue Plan.
  Under this program, eligible veterans only have one chance to 
participate in VRRAP. This became a problem for hundreds of students at 
Future Tech Career Institute in Chicago when the training provider lost 
their ability to administer GI Bill benefits earlier this year.
  If those students had been using a traditional GI Bill program, they 
would be eligible to have their benefits restored to continue their 
studies at another school. However, with VRRAP, that was not possible.
  This bill will fix that issue, authorizing VRRAP users to have 
another chance to use the program if their school closes or loses GI 
Bill approval in the middle of the semester.
  While I am very supportive of the policy in this bill, I do have 
concerns about the cost. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated 
the cost of this bill to be at $6 million in mandatory costs over 10 
years.
  For whatever reason, the Senate chose not to offset these costs 
before passing this bill. This decision is, unfortunately, not 
surprising, as we have seen repeatedly that the Democrat majority in 
both the House and the Senate loves to ignore costs and increase 
spending.
  Their overstimulation of the economy has led to soaring inflation and 
staggering price increases that Americans see every day. We must stop 
mortgaging our children's and grandchildren's futures. Our current 
level of spending is simply not sustainable.
  That being said, I am not going to stand in the way of providing 
restored benefits to unemployed veterans who need our help in this 
struggling economy. That is why I am going to reluctantly support the 
passage of this bill today. However, I caution my friends that this 
practice of un-offset spending must end.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis), my good friend who serves as a 
subcommittee chair on the Ways and Means Committee and is a member of 
the Oversight and Reform Committee.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support 
of the Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program Restoration and 
Recovery Act. I introduced this bill with Senator Durbin and 
Representative Underwood to ensure veterans receive the rapid 
retraining benefits they earned.
  I thank Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Takano and Subcommittee 
on Economic Opportunity Chairman Levin for their leadership in 
advancing this bill quickly to meet the urgent need of affected 
veterans.
  I also thank the multiple veterans' advocates for their support for 
swift passage to assist affected students.
  Veterans serving our country with honor have earned their rapid 
retraining assistance education benefits. The American Rescue Plan 
established these benefits, known as VRRAP, to help veterans gain new 
skills to meet the changing workforce demands during the pandemic.

                              {time}  1315

  Unfortunately, the Veterans Administration lacks the authority to 
restore benefits to veterans who attended institutions that closed or 
experienced a disapproval of educational programming.
  This legislation emerged from casework in Illinois, where more than 
300 Illinois veterans were scammed out of their benefits by an 
unaccredited for-profit institute.
  I am indeed proud to work with Senator Durbin and Representative 
Underwood to restore these benefits to these Illinois veterans and 
protect any other veteran in similar circumstances.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation. I urge my 
colleagues to support it, and I thank the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs for bringing it to us so quickly.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in passing this 
important legislation. I remind my colleagues that it was sent to us by 
the Senate by unanimous consent, and we can express that same sense of 
unanimity by allowing this bill to pass on suspension by voice vote. 
The Senate has indicated unanimity. As my colleagues well know, to even 
get to the floor requires a 60-vote super majority.
  Mr. Speaker, I would say to my friend from Montana, the Big Sky 
State, have a big heart as well as be from the Big Sky State. To my 
colleague, the ranking member, I take to heart your consternation over 
a $6 million non-offsetted cost, but I will remind you of a $2 trillion 
tax cut which was not offset.
  So we will wring our hands over $6 million for our veterans but yet, 
look the other way when $2.9 trillion is blithely moved through this 
Chamber with nary a hearing. I plead to a big heart in this institution 
that we may get through these votes quickly.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support S. 4089, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 4089.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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