House Speaker Paul Ryan announced on Friday of the passage of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, which will lift the 15-year limit on the usage of educational benefits for veterans.
This bill, also known as the ‘Forever’ GI bill, will allow veterans easier access to the education they deserve. According to a press release on Ryan's website, this bill will also make it easier for post 9/11 Purple Heart recipients to receive care, as well as provide veterans with easier access to STEM-focused jobs. President Trump signed the bill into law Friday.
Paul Ryan's official statement reads:
"This is a landmark in helping our veterans make a good transition and pursue their passion. It is the biggest expansion of the GI bill in a decade. We will keep working to see that our veterans get the world-class care and treatment that they and their families have earned. I commend the Republicans and Democrats who came together in bipartisan fashion to get this done.”
This bill aimed at improving the lives of those who fight for our freedom is among a growing list of bills passed by Congress in order to better the situation of veterans, who have struggled so much under VA corruption and outdated benefits laws.
Trump made VA reform one of the major talking points of his campaign and has encouraged the passage of other such bills like the Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, which allowed for the actual firing of corrupt VA employees as well as increased protection for whistleblowers.