WASHINGTON D.C. (NEXSTAR) — Veteran students are among the many groups impacted by the coronavirus. Last week, Congress passed a bill that ensured veterans could seamlessly switch to online classes without losing housing pay.
Congress wants to make sure the coronavirus pandemic doe not cost student veterans their education benefits. Lawmakers approved one bill two weeks ago.
“There was much more that remained to be done,” said Representative Mark Takano of California.
Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Takano introduced a new bill to address issues like canceled classes, or veterans who don’t have broadband internet to attend online classes. The new legislation in the US House would bridge the gap to ensure those veterans also keep their full benefits through this public health emergency. That includes work-study income for veterans who’ve lost their work-study jobs.
“And what we do in this bill is we say even though you can’t continue to go to your work-study job, you’re still going to get the income for that work-study job,” said Takano.
The bill is a bipartisan effort. Congressman Phil Roe is the top Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“So we want to make sure that people that were guaranteed a program, would have the same guarantee if this virus didn’t exist, I think that’s the best way to put it,” said Roe.
Lawmakers hope to pass the bill this week. If that happens, the bill would have to pass by unanimous consent as Congress isn’t scheduled to return to Washington until late next month.