Rep. Susie Lee Receives Sonny Montgomery Student Veteran Champion Award
Las Vegas, Nev. – Yesterday, the Student Veterans of American (SVA) awarded U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) the Sonny Montgomery Student Veteran Champion Award at the 2020 SVA National Convention for her work standing up for student veterans during her first year in Congress. As a longtime education advocate and member of the House Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Education and Labor, Rep. Lee has prioritized passing legislation and advancing policy to benefit student veterans.
Republican Rep. Denver Riggleman (Va-05) also received the Student Veteran Champion Award. Together, Reps. Lee and Riggleman founded the bipartisan House Veterans Education Caucus to highlight the experiences of America's student veterans and find solutions to improve their educational and economic opportunities both in and out of the classroom.
"As an education advocate in Nevada for more than two decades, I gained an understanding of where and why obstacles exist for certain students that don't exist for others," said Rep. Lee. "When I was elected to Congress, I quickly engaged with veteran groups to learn about the unique challenges that our student veterans face in the world of higher education. That's exactly why Rep. Riggleman and I founded the Veterans Education Caucus, to highlight and better understand student veteran experiences and find solutions that help them succeed in and out of the classroom."
"As a member of Congress, it is my duty and commitment to ensure that those who sacrifice for our freedom receive the support and resources they need to live a secure and dignified life once they transition to civilian life. Ensuring access and success in education is the key ingredient to achieving that," Rep. Lee continued. "There's no doubt that our student veterans have the drive and work ethic to succeed, and I look forward to seeing the success of student veterans. It's a true honor to receive the SVA Sonny Montgomery Student Veteran Champion Award, and I'll keep working hard with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to highlight the stories of student veterans and get things done to improve their lives."
BACKGROUND:
Student Veterans of America Sonny Montgomery Student Veteran Champion Award: Sonny Montgomery served in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant during World War II and the Korean War and later retired from the Mississippi National Guard as a Major General in 1980. He was elected to Congress in 1966 and served as the House Veterans' Affairs Committee chairman from 1981-1994. As a World War Il veteran, Congressman Montgomery believed that the country should provide educational benefits to its service members and that the combination of military service and a college degree would make these individuals valuable assets to the country. In 1981, he led the fight for passage of a new G.I. Bill that bears his name: the Montgomery GI Bill. The Sonny Montgomery Student Veteran Champion Award recognizes the selfless dedication a person provided in time and resources to changing the lives of student veterans in a meaningful way. Their diligent efforts on behalf of student veteran issues, and their unique needs on and off campus, like Sonny Montgomery, serve as the guidepost for their daily work. Some may call this public servant an unsung hero; SVA calls them the Student Veteran Champion.
Rep. Susie Lee has supported and introduced multiple pieces of legislation to improve the lives of student veterans. Her bipartisan bill which passed the House in November 2019, the Student Veteran Protection Act, helps student veterans by removing the financial burdens of GI Bill overpayments, passed as part of the Protect the GI Bill Act. She also introduced the PROTECT Students Act and a Congressional Review Act opposing Secretary Betsy DeVos' new Borrower Defense Rule, both of which help crack down of predatory for-profit schools and student loan practices that disproportionately affect student veterans.