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[Page S4716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HARRY W. COLMERY VETERANS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2017
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3218, which was received
from the House.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 3218) to amend title 38, United States Code,
to make certain improvements in the laws administered by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am pleased that today the Senate is
unanimously passing the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational
Assistance Act of 2017, known as the Forever GI Bill, which would make
important improvements to the GI bill.
The bill removes time restrictions on using the GI bill, enabling
future recipients to use benefits their entire lives as opposed to
within the current 15-year timeline. It provides 100 percent GI bill
eligibility to Purple Heart recipients. It also increases GI bill
funding for Reservists, Guardsmen, dependents, surviving spouses, and
surviving dependents.
While the bill includes many provisions I support, I also have
ongoing concerns about institutions of higher education, especially
for-profit colleges, which prey on veterans using GI bill benefits. I
do not believe this bill goes far enough to provide the type of
protections we owe to our servicemembers and the kind of institutional
accountability that taxpayers deserve.
I am particularly concerned that the Forever GI Bill does not address
the 90/10 loophole which incentivizes for-profit colleges to
aggressively recruit and prey on veterans. Under current law, for-
profit colleges are prohibited from receiving more than 90 percent of
their revenue from Federal taxpayers, but due to a loophole in the law,
such revenue does not count Department of Veterans Affairs GI bill or
Department of Defense Tuition Assistance funding. This means that, by
targeting veterans and servicemembers, for-profit colleges can actually
receive 100 percent of their revenue directly from Federal taxpayers.
And many do. According to data released by the Department of
Education in 2016, 193 institutions received more than 90 percent of
their revenue from Federal taxpayers when Department of Education,
Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of Defense funds were
counted together.
I have long called for this loophole to be corrected and for the
percentage of Federal revenue to be returned to the original 85
percent. I will soon reintroduce legislation, the Protecting Students
and Taxpayers, POST, Act, to address this issue.
While not addressed in the Forever GI Bill we are passing today, I
look forward to working with my colleagues--including Senator Carper
who has authored another bill on this topic which I support--veterans
service organizations, and others to consider this and other important
accountability concerns.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered
read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered
made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (H.R. 3218) was ordered to a third reading, was read the
third time, and passed.
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