Wenstrup VET OPP Act Passes the House

Statement

Today, the House of Representatives passed the Veterans' Education, Transition, and Opportunity Prioritization Plan (VET OPP) Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill introduced by Representatives Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Mike Levin (D-CA). A companion has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).

Currently, the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) is responsible for all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits provided to veterans outside of healthcare and cemetery services. While there are many different benefits that VBA provides, the bulk of staffing and resources have been directed toward the administration of disability compensation and pension claims. Other VBA benefits, such as the Forever GI Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation, Home Loan benefits, and VA's portion of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), have not received the same level of attention.

The VET OPP Act would address this issue by realigning transition, education, and employment programs at the VA under a new administration, the Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration. This new administration would be accountable to a presidentially appointed undersecretary and would be created using existing resources to avoid additional bureaucracy.

Upon passage, Representative Wenstrup released the following statement:

"As an Army reservist, I know how important it is that we support our warfighters from the day they enlist to the day they begin their civilian career and beyond. The VET OPP Act will put additional focus and oversight on education and transition programs that support our veterans returning home. I thank my colleagues for their overwhelming support of this legislation and urge its swift passage in the Senate," said Wenstrup.

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