Senator John Cornyn | Official U.S. House headshot
Senator John Cornyn | Official U.S. House headshot
March 19, 2024
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) have introduced a bill aimed at addressing a financial loophole affecting active-duty service members' GI Bill repayments.
The legislation seeks to fix an inadvertent gap that arose during the transition from the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) to the Post 9-11 Forever GI Bill. This gap has prevented thousands of service members from receiving the repayments they are owed for their contributions to the MGIB.
Sen. Cornyn emphasized the importance of rectifying this situation, stating, “American service members shouldn’t have to cut through layers of bureaucratic red tape just to receive financial benefits they are owed.”
Sen. Hassan echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for fair treatment for veterans using their GI Bill benefits: “Veterans have earned and deserve fair treatment when using their GI Bill benefits.”
Sen. Tillis highlighted the necessity of ensuring that servicemembers receive the full financial benefits they deserve, stating, “Our brave servicemembers deserve the full financial benefits they are rightfully owed.”
Sen. Sinema also expressed support for the bill, noting its significance in helping Arizona servicemembers access their GI Bill payments: “We’re helping Arizona servicemembers more easily reclaim GI Bill payments and receive the full benefits they have earned.”
The legislation, introduced in the Senate, has a companion bill in the House of Representatives, introduced by Congressman Jim Banks, which has already passed in the House.
The MGIB required service members to make monthly contributions during their first 12 months of active duty to receive financial assistance for education. However, due to the transition to the Post-9/11 Forever GI Bill, some veterans have not been receiving the repayments they are owed, particularly those who do not receive a housing allowance.
To address this issue, the proposed legislation aims to amend Title 38 of the United States Code to ensure that members of the Armed Forces are repaid for their contributions towards Post-9/11 educational assistance. This change seeks to simplify the process for veterans to reclaim these funds and prevent them from missing out on the benefits they have earned.
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