Bill would protect returning Iowa National Guard Members
Washington, DC -Today, the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity unanimously passed Congressman Bruce Braley's bipartisan bill to help service members and veterans who return from combat and are facing foreclosure stay in their homes. The Protecting Veterans' Homes Act would protect veterans from being foreclosed upon by banks and would give returning Iowa National Guard soldiers peace of mind as many of them make their way home after a year-long deployment in Afghanistan.
"As hundreds of our National Guard troops make their way home to Iowa, this bill will give them the peace of mind that their homes and their families are safe," said Rep. Braley. "Too often, our soldiers return from combat only to face new challenges here at home. Whether it's an injury or a financial crisis caused by long deployments and time off from their civilian jobs, our veterans deserve to know that we're standing up for them. This bill will make sure our soldiers have enough time to get back on their feet and get their finances in order. This is the least we can do for the brave men and women who serve this country."
Currently, similar protections for veterans are set to expire in December 2012. The Protecting Veterans' Homes Act, introduced by Rep. Braley earlier this year, would make these protections permanent and would extend the grace period from nine months to a full year for service members and veterans returning from deployments. The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), the Chairman of the VA Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
The Subcommittee also unanimously passed a bill to fund the U.S. Paralympics. Rep. Braley, a strong supporter of the U.S. Paralympics, voted in favor of the bill. Earlier thisyear, Rep. Braley met with Bettendorf-native Paralympian Andy Yohe to discuss the Paralympics and what Congress could do to ensure the success of the program.
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