AMAC Supports Bill to Give Veterans Education, Transition, and Opportunity

AMAC is pleased to endorse the VET OPP Act, a bill that facilitates the seamless administration of important benefits and focuses on economic opportunity for our veterans as they make the transition to civilian life.  

June 2, 2020

The Honorable Marco Rubio
Senator from Florida
284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Rubio,

On behalf of the 2.1 million members of AMAC – Association of Mature American Citizens, including over 157,000 residing in the state of Florida, I write to offer our support for S. 1003, the Veterans’ Education, Transition, and Opportunity Prioritization Plan Act (VET OPP Act).

As an organization comprised of many veterans of America’s armed forces, AMAC is vested in ensuring that they are able to take advantage of all the benefits they have rightfully earned as a result of their service to our country. These brave patriots who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms, deserve all the assistance we can provide for them once their duty has been fulfilled.

S. 1003 recognizes that currently, the bulk of resources within the Veterans Benefits Administration is concentrated on disability compensation and pension claims at the expense of other benefits including, vocational rehabilitation, home loan benefits and the Forever GI Bill. Your bill works to address this issue by creating a new administration that would realign transition, education, and employment programs.

VET OPP’s new administration, the Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, would be accountable to a presidentially appointed undersecretary and would be created using existing resources to avoid additional bureaucracy. A similar bill, H.R. 2045, passed in the House and AMAC looks forward to the Senate passing this legislation.

Thank you, Senator Rubio, for sponsoring bipartisan legislation that prioritizes essential services veterans need as they make the transition back to civilian life and works to deliver them in a more efficient manner. It smartly has built-in accountability and will not cost additional tax dollars. AMAC is pleased to join other veterans’ groups in offering our organization’s full support for S. 1003, the Veterans’ Education, Transition, and Opportunity Prioritization Plan Act (VET OPP Act).

Sincerely,
Bob Carlstrom
President, AMAC Action