Native Vetsuccess At Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak on H.R. 2878, as amended, the Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act, introduced by Congressman Gallego.

Started in 2009, the VetSuccess On Campus Program helps student veterans succeed and thrive through delivery of on-campus benefits, assistance, and counseling. This outreach is intended to help veterans complete their education and prepare them for jobs.

Since its inception, the program has expanded multiple times, and currently supports 104 schools across the country and is served by 87 VetSuccess counselors.

However, Tribal colleges and universities are not currently served by the VetSuccess program, creating a gap in access to the services and benefits our Native American veterans have earned.

Madam Speaker, Native veterans serve in the Armed Forces at five times the national average, and have served with distinction in every major conflict for over 200 years. Native Americans have the highest per capita involvement of any population in service in the U.S. military, yet these same communities that serve disproportionately in our military don't see the same resources delivered back to their communities.

Congressman Gallego's legislation begins to close this gap by creating the Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act at three sites around the Nation serving Tribal colleges.

But that is not all. This legislation also includes additional improvements that will deliver more benefits to all veterans using their earned educational benefits.

Included in this legislation is expanded housing benefits for veterans as they seek to finish programs of education; additional funding for high-technology education courses to serve more veterans during our economic rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic; and an extension of VA housing partnerships with local communities to house more veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Madam Speaker, I applaud Congressman Gallego, a veteran himself, for bringing this package to us, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act.

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