Virginia Senate fails to approve fix for military tuition program
RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) - The Virginia Senate has recessed for a second time without repealing controversial changes to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.
The program provides tuition assistance to the families of military service members and first responders killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Changes to the program were included in the new two-year spending plan that was approved in May, and they sparked controversy among military families who depend on the benefits.
Friday, members of the House of Delegates passed a full repeal of the budget language on a unanimous vote. Members of the Senate returned to the State Capitol Monday afternoon to consider the issue for a second time.
The Senate Finance Committee reported a bill that supporters said would fully repeal the controversial changes. But it also included another provision requiring students to make satisfactory academic progress that raised concern among Republican members.
The full Senate never voted on the measure Monday, because of a rule requiring at least 48 hours notice before a budget vote. A motion to waive that requirement failed.
“The advocates, many of which are up here in the chamber, are going to get exactly what they don’t want, because people have chosen to play politics,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax County). “And it’s really a sad day, because we are the ones who have been fighting to preserve this program for the families that need it.”
“The families of our military veterans who are going to college, the first responders who are going to college, planning out their futures, they don’t care how we got here, why we got here. All they care is that we are here and that we are not getting the job done,” said Sen. Mark Peake (R-Lynchburg). We need to fix this.”
Following the session, Governor Youngkin released the following statement, saying members of both chambers should return next week to address the issue on the same day:
“The Senate Democrat leadership is hurting our military heroes, first responders and their families every time they show up and do nothing, as well as wasting time and taxpayer money,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “A full, clean repeal, which passed out of the House unanimously, and was supported by a bipartisan majority in the Senate, could have been signed today. An additional $45 million appropriation could have passed the Senate today, as well. Senate Democrat Leadership instead insisted on making changes to benefits without an open process. Changes to VMSDEP need to occur in an open, transparent process during the regular legislative session, with our Gold Star, military and first responder families at the table. The Senate and House need to agree to return next week, on the same day, so we can settle this issue once and for all, with the clean, and full, repeal bill. If they can’t agree on coming back together to fix this, I will call them back to do exactly that.”
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