Congresswoman Stansbury Votes to Expand National Guard Benefits
Members of the National Guard, despite taking on the same duties and risks as other military servicemembers, are ineligible for GI bill education benefits
WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) voted to expand GI Bill education benefits to the National Guard. The Guard and Reserve Parity Act,led by Rep. Mike Levin (Calif.- 49) provides parity in GI Bill benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserve who increasingly conduct similar training and missions as other servicemembers, but do not receive equal benefits.
“Our National Guardsmen and women step up every day to serve our communities and our country,” said Rep. Stansbury. “Over the last two years, the New Mexico National Guard has helped save lives and distribute food during the pandemic, were deployed overseas, stepped up to help Afghan evacuees get resettled, and protected our democracy at the U.S. Capitol. I’m proud to vote to extend the education program benefits our brave Guardsmen have more than earned and am grateful for their service.”
Rep. Stansbury’s vote comes as the nearly 4,000 members of the New Mexico National Guard and Air National Guard have been utilized at unprecedented levels in recent years as critical first responders to the COVID-19 pandemic, as firefighters, and as responders to the January 6th insurrection. The Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act addresses this benefits disparity by expanding eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill to count every day that a servicemember is paid and in uniform toward benefit eligibility.