December 13, 2022
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Chairman Takano Delivers Opening Remarks at Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity's Roundtable on Guard and Reserve Parity
Press Contact
Daniel Santa Cruz (202) 603-1929
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) delivered remarks at the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity's roundtable on Guard and Reserve parity issues.
Chairman Takano’s remarks as prepared:
Thank you Chairman Levin for inviting me to participate in this roundtable discussion today on Guard and Reserve parity issues.
We live in a new age of national defense where we utilize the total force concept with an operational reserve, not a strategic reserve.
We rely each day on guard and reservists to protect and defend our country.
Over the past two years, our reserve components have fought wildfires, mobilized in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, assisted with the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and even helped Afghan refugees settle in the United States.
The cadence of activations for guard and reservists has increased significantly, and with that comes the need to meet mission readiness standards.
To prepare for the critical role they fulfill in our national defense, guard and reservists must frequently train, which means more days in uniform, more days away from their civilian life, and more days away from their families.
If servicemembers can step up and do their part day in and day out, while holding down civilian jobs and squeezing in time to take care of their families, then the least we can do here in Congress is to get out of the way of the solution.
There are troubling reports of upticks in suicides among guard and reservists.
One of the best ways we can address veteran health, mental health, and ultimately veteran suicide is by providing veterans with support and a pathway to a successful civilian life.
That’s why I was proud to advance Chairman Levin’s Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021 to give guard and reservists access to the opportunities that post-secondary education and training provide and improve their reintegration into civilian life.
Besides just being the right thing to do, investing in equitable GI Bill benefits for Guard and Reservists will provide more than a ten-fold return for our country.
Who are we to stand in the way of an educational benefit that will only make our country stronger?
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I travelled to the Middle East to visit servicemembers stationed overseas.
While in Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq, I met many guard and reservists who were spending their Thanksgiving far away from their friends and family in service to our nation.
Many expressed confusion about their benefits and uncertainty about which duty and training days count toward their eligibility.
This is unacceptable.
It’s time that guard and reserve benefits reflect the key work they are doing and the need for equity across the total force. It’s time for every day in uniform to count.
I also share Chairman Levin’s concerns regarding the CFPB report that showed only a small fraction of activated Guard and Reserve servicemembers receive the interest rate reductions they are entitled to under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
I’m happy to be here today to hear from our participants about how we can continue our work on the House Veterans Affairs Committee to ensure benefits parity and consumer protections for our guard and reservists.
I’m honored we are joined today by representatives and student veterans from University of California, Riverside.
It’s my pleasure to introduce Brian Haynes, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs for the University of California, Riverside.
Next we have Kathy Eiler, Director of Federal Relations for UC Riverside.
Vice Chancellor Haynes and Ms. Eiler are joined today by distinguished veterans and servicemembers from the UC Riverside community.
We have with us Tami Thacker, the Veterans Services Coordinator at UC Riverside. Ms. Thacker has an incredible history serving in our military as a Hospital Corpsman and the first female to integrate into instructing and training the Marine Corps’ Reconnaissance Marines. She is a first generation college student and completed her Master’s Degree in Higher Education, Administration, and Policy in June 2022 at UC Riverside. Welcome, Ms. Thacker.
We also have Greg Sanchez, a UC Riverside Chancellor’s Research Fellow. He too has a storied military career, having joined the Navy in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and serving multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Mr. Sanchez serves as the Student Veterans of America liaison for the UC Riverside chapter, and I appreciate his commitment to supporting his fellow student veterans. Welcome, Mr. Sanchez.
Finally, we have Angeliz Vargas Casillas, a PhD candidate in Mathematics at UC Riverside. If pursuing a PhD is not impressive enough, Ms. Vargas Casillas also serves in the California Air National Guard as a cyber warfare operator. In her “spare” time, she works with the Veterans Resource Center and Women’s Resource Center on campus to help support women veterans, dependents, and current servicemembers. Thank you for all you do and welcome.
Again, thank you Chairman Levin for inviting me to join this roundtable today and I look forward to the conversation.
Thank you Chairman Levin for inviting me to participate in this roundtable discussion today on Guard and Reserve parity issues.
We live in a new age of national defense where we utilize the total force concept with an operational reserve, not a strategic reserve.
We rely each day on guard and reservists to protect and defend our country.
Over the past two years, our reserve components have fought wildfires, mobilized in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, assisted with the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and even helped Afghan refugees settle in the United States.
The cadence of activations for guard and reservists has increased significantly, and with that comes the need to meet mission readiness standards.
To prepare for the critical role they fulfill in our national defense, guard and reservists must frequently train, which means more days in uniform, more days away from their civilian life, and more days away from their families.
If servicemembers can step up and do their part day in and day out, while holding down civilian jobs and squeezing in time to take care of their families, then the least we can do here in Congress is to get out of the way of the solution.
There are troubling reports of upticks in suicides among guard and reservists.
One of the best ways we can address veteran health, mental health, and ultimately veteran suicide is by providing veterans with support and a pathway to a successful civilian life.
That’s why I was proud to advance Chairman Levin’s Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021 to give guard and reservists access to the opportunities that post-secondary education and training provide and improve their reintegration into civilian life.
Besides just being the right thing to do, investing in equitable GI Bill benefits for Guard and Reservists will provide more than a ten-fold return for our country.
Who are we to stand in the way of an educational benefit that will only make our country stronger?
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I travelled to the Middle East to visit servicemembers stationed overseas.
While in Jordan, Kuwait, and Iraq, I met many guard and reservists who were spending their Thanksgiving far away from their friends and family in service to our nation.
Many expressed confusion about their benefits and uncertainty about which duty and training days count toward their eligibility.
This is unacceptable.
It’s time that guard and reserve benefits reflect the key work they are doing and the need for equity across the total force. It’s time for every day in uniform to count.
I also share Chairman Levin’s concerns regarding the CFPB report that showed only a small fraction of activated Guard and Reserve servicemembers receive the interest rate reductions they are entitled to under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
I’m happy to be here today to hear from our participants about how we can continue our work on the House Veterans Affairs Committee to ensure benefits parity and consumer protections for our guard and reservists.
I’m honored we are joined today by representatives and student veterans from University of California, Riverside.
It’s my pleasure to introduce Brian Haynes, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs for the University of California, Riverside.
Next we have Kathy Eiler, Director of Federal Relations for UC Riverside.
Vice Chancellor Haynes and Ms. Eiler are joined today by distinguished veterans and servicemembers from the UC Riverside community.
We have with us Tami Thacker, the Veterans Services Coordinator at UC Riverside. Ms. Thacker has an incredible history serving in our military as a Hospital Corpsman and the first female to integrate into instructing and training the Marine Corps’ Reconnaissance Marines. She is a first generation college student and completed her Master’s Degree in Higher Education, Administration, and Policy in June 2022 at UC Riverside. Welcome, Ms. Thacker.
We also have Greg Sanchez, a UC Riverside Chancellor’s Research Fellow. He too has a storied military career, having joined the Navy in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and serving multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Mr. Sanchez serves as the Student Veterans of America liaison for the UC Riverside chapter, and I appreciate his commitment to supporting his fellow student veterans. Welcome, Mr. Sanchez.
Finally, we have Angeliz Vargas Casillas, a PhD candidate in Mathematics at UC Riverside. If pursuing a PhD is not impressive enough, Ms. Vargas Casillas also serves in the California Air National Guard as a cyber warfare operator. In her “spare” time, she works with the Veterans Resource Center and Women’s Resource Center on campus to help support women veterans, dependents, and current servicemembers. Thank you for all you do and welcome.
Again, thank you Chairman Levin for inviting me to join this roundtable today and I look forward to the conversation.
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