Barrett Applauds VA Secretary, Calls for Additional Action To Restore Benefits To Veterans Forced Out Over COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today applauded Secretary Doug Collins after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced plans to allow veterans to regain education benefit eligibility if they were forced to retire early or unjustly discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. Barrett also renewed his call for Congress to work together and pass his Patriots Over Politics Act (H.R. 3619), which would restore the rights of service members to transfer their unused GI Bill education benefits to their children if their military careers were cut short due to the Department of Defense's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

"Secretary Collins made a great decision today using President Trump's executive order to reinstate GI Bill benefits for veterans who were discharged for refusing Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate," said Barrett. "This fix was a long time coming and will give peace of mind to thousands of veterans who deserve their benefits, but we can't stop here. Thousands more veterans were forced out under the threat of a dishonorable discharge, which is why it's critical to pass my Patriots Over Politics Act and restore their ability to transfer their unused educational benefits to their children. It's the right thing to do."

BACKGROUND:

When a service member enlists in the military, they get access to GI Bill benefits, including money for qualifying veterans and their family members to cover all or some of the costs for school or training. As a retention incentive, a service member may be eligible to transfer their unused GI Bill benefits to their spouse or children if they agree to serve an additional four years in the Armed Forces. However, thousands of service members who made that commitment lost their ability to fulfill it when they were involuntarily separated or pressured into retirement for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.

Barrett introduced the Patriots Over Politics Act (H.R. 3619) in May to correct this injustice by allowing any service member who completed at least six years of service and left the military between August 24, 2021, and January 10, 2023, to transfer their G.I. Bill benefits to their children. This legislation would affect approximately 6,400 veterans.

Click here to read the bill.

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