BAUCUS: PROTECT MONTANA VETERANS FROM ADVERTISING SCAMS

Senator Urges VA to Trademark ‘GI Bill,’ Stop For-Profit Schools from Targeting Veterans With Misleading Ads

 

(Washington, D.C.) – Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus today called on Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki to file a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the phrase ‘GI Bill’ to help protect veterans from deceptive marketing by for-profit colleges and universities.

 

Recent investigations by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) found that many for-profit colleges and universities use predatory recruiting practices and false advertising to encourage prospective students to enroll, despite having low student success rates and high costs.  Many of these ads specifically target veterans. Trademarking the phrase ‘GI Bill’ would help bring this to an end by allowing the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the phrase is only being used to provide impartial and comprehensive information about these benefits.

 

In a letter today Baucus wrote, “Since 1944 the phrase ‘GI Bill’ has been a symbol of our nation’s obligation to give back to those who serve. Any attempt to mislead veterans into using these hard-earned benefits for substandard or overpriced programs should not be tolerated. As such, we ask that you trademark the phrase ‘GI Bill’ to help ensure that our veterans are not unfairly targeted.”

Tester receives national American Legion award

Senator recognized for making it easier for veterans to join American Legion

 

(U.S. SENATE) – The American Legion is honoring Senator Jon Tester for making it easier for younger generations of veterans to benefit from membership in the national service organization.

 

Tester last year authored a law to modernize the American Legion by allowing members to pay dues online by debit and credit cards.  Previously, veterans could only pay membership dues by cash or check.

 

Tester wrote the bill with Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., after hearing input from Montana veterans. 

 

“I’m honored to receive this award from the American Legion, but credit goes to the Montana veterans who first came to me with a solution to an easy-to-fix problem,” said Tester, Montana’s only member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.  “Now younger generations of veterans can easily turn to the American Legion for critical support and resources.”

 

Merv Gunderson, National Vice Commander and a member of The American Legion Department of Montana, presented the award to Tester.

 

“The American Legion has been advocating for veterans for almost a century and one of the most important ways we do that is by connecting our members to the resources and support available,” Gunderson said.  “Thanks to Senator Tester, we’ll be able to more easily serve a new generation of veterans and fulfill our vital mission.”

 

The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919.  In 2010, the National Convention of the American Legion adopted an amendment to allow for dues to be paid online with debit and credit cards, but all changes to the Legion’s charter must be approved by Congress.  Congress approved Tester’s bill and the President signed it into law in December.

 

Tester’s bipartisan bill to modernize the Legion is online HERE.

 

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