[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 62 (Monday, April 7, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1432-H1433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MONTGOMERY GI BILL SELECTED RESERVES TUITION FAIRNESS ACT OF 2025
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 983) to Amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disapprove courses of education
offered by a public institution of higher learning that does not charge
the in-State tuition rate to a veteran using certain educational
assistance under title 10 of such Code, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 983
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 ``Montgomery GI Bill Selected
Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DISAPPROVAL OF COURSES
OFFERED BY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
LEARNING THAT DO NOT CHARGE VETERANS IN-STATE
TUITION RATE FOR PURPOSES OF SELECTED RESERVE
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subsection (c) of section 3679 of title
38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, or chapter 1606 of
title 10,'' after ``chapter 30, 31, 33, or 35 of this
title'';
(2) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following
new subparagraph:
``(E) An individual who is entitled to assistance under
section 16131 of title 10.''; and
(3) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``, or chapter 1606 of
title 10'' before the period at the end.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Subsection (e) of such section
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, or chapter 1606
of title 10,'' after ``chapter 31, 33, or 35 of this title'';
and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``chapter 31 33, or 35
of this title'' and inserting ``chapter 31, 33, or 35 of this
title, or chapter 1606 of title 10''; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``chapter 31 33, or 35 of
this title'' and inserting ``chapter 31, 33, or 35 of this
title, or chapter 1606 of title 10''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act
and shall apply with respect to an academic period that
begins on or after August 1, 2026.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on
H.R. 983.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 983, offered by my
friend and colleague, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden).
This bill would reduce tuition costs for Montgomery GI Bill Selected
reservists by making them eligible for the same in-State tuition
waivers.
When a veteran uses other education benefits offered by VA, they are
able to receive an in-State tuition. It is time to include MGIB
Selected Reserves as another benefit that uses in-State tuition.
Last Congress, under the Republican majority, the House passed
legislation that would streamline benefits and protect taxpayers. This
bill would continue that mission in the 119th Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 983, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
April 1, 2025.
Hon. Mike Bost,
Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bost: H.R. 983, the ``Montgomery GI Bill
Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2025'', was
referred primarily to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
with an additional referral to the Committee on Armed
Services.
H.R. 983 contains provisions within the Committee on Armed
Services' Rule X jurisdiction. As a result of your having
consulted with the Committee and to expedite this bill for
floor consideration, the Committee on Armed Services will
forego action on the bill. This is being done based on our
mutual understanding that doing so will in no way diminish or
alter the jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services
with respect to the appointment of conferees, or to any
future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters
contained in the bill or similar bills.
I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming
this understanding, and would request that you include a copy
of this letter and your response in the committee report or
in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of
this bill. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Mike Rogers,
Chairman.
______
April 7, 2025.
Hon. Mike Rogers,
Chairman, Committee on Armed Services,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Rogers: Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 983, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition
Fairness Act of 2025. I acknowledge that provisions of the
bill fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed
Services. I agree that your forgoing further action on this
measure does not in any way diminish or alter the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services over the
subject matters contained in this bill or similar legislation
in the future. In addition, I would support your request to
have the Committee on Armed Services appropriately consulted
on any issues in this bill or similar legislation that fall
under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services.
I am grateful for your willingness to work with us in a
collegial manner to move this legislation forward. I will
place copies of this exchange in the Congressional Record
during consideration of this legislation on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Mike Bost,
Chairman.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 983, the
Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2025.
This bill mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs to deny courses
that do not charge in-State tuition rates to veterans using certain
educational assistance under title 10. The VA already has the authority
to disapprove courses at higher education institutions that do not
offer in-State tuition rates for other GI Bill beneficiaries.
Mandating in-State tuition rates is good policy. It ensures that only
schools who prioritize quality education at a fair price participate in
the programs. It preserves the GI Bill benefits for student veterans,
and it makes the entire GI Bill program more solvent and sustainable so
that the GI Bill stays available for veterans for generations into the
future.
Mr. Speaker, it is also crucial to ensure that selected reservists
receive the same benefits as their Active-Duty counterparts by ensuring
that in-State tuition is granted regardless of their residency.
This bill will expand educational opportunities by providing them
with more affordable education options. Their dedication to serving our
country deserves nothing less.
We passed this bill last Congress, but, unfortunately, the Senate did
not consider it in time. I hope we finish this work in this Congress,
and I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden).
Mr. VAN ORDEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my legislation, H.R.
983, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of
2025.
This bill holds particular significance for me because the issue was
first brought to my attention by one of my constituents, Mr. Greg
Tremelling, a fellow veteran, during our Veterans Day listening session
hosted last Congress.
His voice, joined by countless other reservists and veterans,
highlighted the urgent need for policy change, and this is precisely
what this government
[[Page H1433]]
should be doing: listening to our constituents and acting on their
needs.
I am honored to represent the brave men and women serving at Fort
McCoy and Volk Field, whose daily sacrifices safeguard our Nation and
its values. My legislation will help veterans utilizing the Montgomery
GI Bill Selected Reserves by including them in the in-State tuition
waiver that all other beneficiaries currently receive.
These reservists face the same dangers and make identical sacrifices
as our Active-Duty counterparts when deployed. Their courage and
dedication deserve equal recognition.
Mr. Speaker, of the last eight servicemembers killed in the line of
duty, six of them were reservists, the two remaining being my fellow
Navy SEALs, who were lost in the Red Sea. Their loss underscores the
serious consequences of the decisions made by the previous
administration.
Mr. Speaker, I would remind everyone that the enemy does not care if
you are a National Guardsman or -woman. They don't care if you are a
selected reservist or Active Duty. They are simply aiming at the
American flag on your shoulder.
By passing this bill, we are going to ensure parity between the
reservists and Active-Duty servicemembers. It is long due for a change,
and I extend my personal gratitude to Mr. Tremelling for bringing this
critical matter to my attention, and I thank Chairman Bost for his
steadfast leadership and support.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 983.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, while the House debates various veterans-related
legislation today, none are more urgent than the legislation I am
introducing to stop thousands of veterans from losing their homes.
Last Thursday, Secretary Doug Collins and President Trump announced
the abrupt termination of the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase
program, known as VASP.
This program was designed to prevent foreclosures for veterans with
VA home loans who had exhausted every other option. With no notice, no
replacement, and no plan, the Trump administration decided that these
veterans are on their own.
The decision came down just hours after the new Trump tariffs sent
our economy reeling, plunging the stock market, increasing job
insecurity, and deepening financial strain on working families,
including veterans.
It is hard to imagine a starker representation of their values. At
the very moment veterans are needing stability, the administration
chose to take it away. They did it while Republicans in Congress are
pushing massive tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.
The Republicans are pushing for massive tax cuts for billionaires
while forcing veterans into foreclosures. Veterans who served this
Nation are now calling our offices, panicked and unsure if they will
lose their homes. They don't know what is next, and the truth is
neither does VA.
Secretary Collins has provided no answers and no alternatives to
VASP. Ending this critical support without a clear plan is not just
reckless, but it is cruel. That is why I am introducing the Foreclosure
Assistance Immediately Reinstated, or FAIR Act, to reinstate the VASP
program and make it clear that VA's job is to help veterans stay in
their homes, not push them into homelessness.
The VA Home Loan Program has been a pillar of the American middle
class since the original GI Bill. It helped returning World War II
veterans achieve economic security through homeownership. Yet, today's
veterans, facing high costs, low wages, and an unstable economy, need
that same promise fulfilled.
Let me be very clear. This is not a handout. These are earned
benefits. Veterans stepped up to defend our country, our Nation, and
they deserve more than empty slogans and broken promises in return.
VA had the tools, and has the responsibility, to intervene when
veterans faced foreclosure. VASP was working. It had already helped
over 15,000 veterans keep their homes with tens of thousands more
eligible.
Ending it based on the false narrative that veterans would game the
system is an insult to their service and sacrifices. This decision
abandons our values. It punishes the very people who kept their promise
to America.
Mr. Speaker, it is our turn to keep our promise to them. I urge my
colleagues to support the FAIR Act and send a clear message: We don't
let veterans fall through the cracks. Not on our watch.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in
passing H.R. 983, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition
Fairness Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, once again, we are seeing fear-mongering from the other
side of the aisle.
VA's decision to phase out the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase
program, or VASP program, is an important step by the Trump
administration.
Last Congress, the Biden-Harris administration, during an election
year, created VASP instead of implementing a partial-claim program.
This decision added billions of dollars to the VA budget without any
assurance to the taxpayer that this was a good decision.
The average amount that a veteran had to pay back in their mortgage
was less than $25,000. Instead of solving the problem, VA chose to
purchase the entire loan, which, on average, was about $321,000. In no
way does this make sense to solve a $25,000 problem with a $320,000
solution. Therein lies the problem with our colleagues across the
aisle.
Rather than being wise and trying to fix it for the veterans and for
the veterans in the future, Democrats instead do a political thing
during an election year that ends up costing the taxpayers. I will say
it again that veterans are taxpayers.
This is why, under my leadership, House Republicans have a solution,
the alarm on the Biden administration program and the risk it could
bring to VA home loans.
This is also why House Republicans have a solution in this problem,
H.R. 1815, introduced by my friend, Representative Van Orden.
Mr. Speaker, if the ranking member is so concerned about the
veterans, I ask him and his side of the aisle why my Democratic
colleagues haven't introduced a solution to aid veterans and still make
sure that it actually deals with the veterans' problems, not just all
of a sudden spends not only more money than they have to fix their
problem, but creating a problem for other veterans because Democrats
are going to drain this system.
{time} 1630
Now, I welcome the ranking member and other colleagues on the other
side of the aisle to cosponsor Mr. Van Orden's legislation and get it
out of the House to the Senate. Instead of complaining, the ranking
member should join us in this legislation. I, once again, encourage
people to get back to the issue at hand and support the bill that we
were debating before.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of our colleagues to vote for that bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 983.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________