Richmond, Virginia – Governor Glenn Youngkin has issued a strong statement criticizing the Senate Democrats for their failure to pass the bipartisan Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) bill. The bill, which had previously passed the House unanimously and enjoyed bipartisan support in the Senate, aimed to repeal certain changes to the VMSDEP and secure an additional $45 million appropriation.
Governor Youngkin expressed his frustration, stating, “The Senate Democrat leadership is hurting our military heroes, first responders and their families every time they show up and do nothing, as well as wasting time and taxpayer money.” He emphasized that a full and clean repeal of the existing changes to VMSDEP could have been enacted, benefiting the families of military personnel and first responders.
The Governor highlighted that the Senate leadership’s insistence on making changes to benefits without an open process was detrimental. He stressed that any modifications to the VMSDEP should occur during the regular legislative session with full transparency and involvement from Gold Star families, military members, and first responders.
Governor Youngkin urged the Senate and House to reconvene next week to resolve the issue with a clean and full repeal bill. He stated, “The Senate and House need to agree to return next week, on the same day, so we can settle this issue once and for all, with the clean, and full, repeal bill. If they can’t agree on coming back together to fix this, I will call them back to do exactly that.”
The Governor’s statement underscores the urgency and importance of passing the VMSDEP bill to support Virginia’s military heroes and their families. His call to action aims to ensure that the necessary legislative measures are taken promptly to address the needs of those who have served the nation.
