July 20, 2023
Senator Tom Carper
513 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
SUBJ: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 Amendment
Dear Senator Carper,
The undersigned organizations serving service members, veterans, and their families and survivors are pleased to offer our strong support of your proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Voluntary Education Institutional Compliance Program of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a risk-based survey for oversight of covered educational institutions.
This amendment would take the commonsense step of applying limited oversight and compliance resources at DOD as efficiently and effectively as possible, while seeking to ensure education programs offered to service members are of the quality they expect when using valuable education benefits. The risk-based approach to oversight of covered institutions is already a requirement of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits programs as mandated in the bipartisan Isakson and Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act. It is only rational that DOD should similarly heed red flags in overseeing colleges.
We applaud you for championing this amendment in the U.S. Senate, as education benefits are an important part of the broader American national security apparatus. A more educated force can have great long-term implications on the safety and security of our nation, and we strongly support your amendment.
Sincerely,
American GI Forum of the United States
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association
Combined Arms
Commissioned Officers Association of the US Public Health Service
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
Modern Military Association of America
Service Women’s Action Network
Swords to Plowshares
The American Legion
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
Travis Manion Foundation
Veterans Education Success
Veterans for Common Sense
Wounded Paw Project