U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, speaks to The Reflector in January 2019.
U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, had a noteworthy week in Congress late last month, seeing legislation she backed get signed into law, putting support behind a potential new way to help students fund their technical education and receiving accolades from the Children’s Hospital Association for her work on child health.
Home loan fee waivers for Purple Heart military
Herrera Beutler’s push to let active-duty Purple Heart recipients take advantage of fee waivers on home loans is now law after President Donald Trump signed legislation including language from the Representative’s bill last week.
Herrera Beutler announced that the “Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019” had been signed into law June 25. In it, language from her own bill, H.R. 1448, was included, according to her announcement.
Though the overall bill focuses on covering medical care for Navy veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange herbicide during Vietnam, it contains a provision that extends waivers of fees on home loans guaranteed under a Department of Veterans Affairs program to any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who can provide evidence of award of a Purple Heart on or before the date of the loan closing.
Herrera Beutler’s announcement noted that currently the fee waiver is only permitted for veterans or a surviving spouse receiving VA benefits from service-connected disabilities. It estimates Purple Heart recipients on active duty could save $4,000-$10,000 with the waiver depending on the size of the loan.
The Congresswoman’s announcement stated about 8,000 individuals currently in the armed forces have been awarded the Purple Heart, given to those who were wounded or killed by hostile forces. The announcement included praise from Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) National Commander Doug Greenlaw.
“Veterans who were disabled during their service are eligible to have their VA Home Loan funding fees waived, and rightly so. However, those who continue to serve in uniform after they were wounded in combat against the enemy must still pay the fee,” Greenlaw stated, adding that to his organization that prohibition made no sense.
“Congresswoman Herrera Beutler’s bill would finally correct this injustice by extending the waiver to all active duty Purple Heart recipients, providing a significant benefit to those who have already paid the price on the battlefield,” Greenlaw stated.
Recognition for ACE Kids Act
Herrera Beutler received recognition on her work to support “medically complex” children as she was given the “Champion for Children’s Health” award from the Children’s Hospital Association last week.
The Congresswoman received the award for her work on the Advocating Care for Exceptional (ACE) Kids Act, legislation included in a larger package of Medicaid-related bills that was signed into law in April. She was one of a handful of Representatives from both parties who worked to get the legislation passed — in an announcement for her award it noted she had been working on the legislation since 2014.
An announcement from when The ACE Kids Act was signed said the act would encourage the creation of more “health homes” — a coordination of different health care specialists formed to help patients on Medicaid. That announcement noted that often times the different medical professionals needed to care for medically-complex children — ones with cancer, congenital heart disease or Down syndrome, for instance — were spread across different clinics and hospitals, in some cases in different states.
“Getting ACE Kids signed into law is one of my proudest efforts because it shows that we can accomplish hard stuff on behalf of vulnerable kids and families, and we can reach across ideological divides,” Herrera Beutler stated in the announcement of the award. According to Congress’ website, the legislation passed both chambers by voice vote as part of the overall Medicaid package.
Grant money expansion for technical education introduced
Herrera Beutler also threw her support behind an effort to expand funding opportunities for those going into the trades. Herrera Beutler is one of five initial co-sponsors for H.R. 3497, the “Jumpstart Our Businesses By Supporting Students (JOBS) Act,” a bill brought forth by Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat, June 26.
The bill would expand Pell Grant eligibility to qualified education programs at least eight weeks long that have between 150 and 600 clock hours, according to an announcement from Herrera Beutler about the legislation. According to the Federal Student Aid office Pell Grants are based off of financial need and don’t require repayment like a student loan under most circumstances.
Herrera Beutler’s announcement noted that though those looking for traditional college degrees have a number of resources to pay for school, there weren’t many options for those looking at technical education. It mentioned that the lack of opportunities coincides with a growing skills gap in the country.
“My focus has always been on making sure Southwest Washington residents can get good-paying jobs, which means providing a path for workers to pursue better opportunities. One way to empower folks to earn more is to ensure they have the skills and training necessary to compete for available jobs,” Herrera Beutler stated in the announcement.
