New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone held a pre-Memorial Day roundtable with veterans to talk about what lawmakers are doing to help those who’ve served.
Pallone sponsored a bill which has passed the House and is aimed at helping homeless vets and those who need financial help.
“The goal of the bill is to take a look at the financial and credit counseling services that are offered through the supportive service for veterans families program and to obviously get veterans into housing,” he said.
“What the bill does, it directs the VA to conduct a study on the credit and financial counseling services offered to homeless veterans and any kind of barriers to those services,” said Pallone.
The V-A says credit and financial counseling is a Top 10 unmet need of homeless veterans.
“I understand this is only a first step, but it’s something that we’re trying to do, and it passed the House, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee chair says they’re gonna move it in the Senate, so hopefully it’ll be on the president’s desk,” said Pallone.
He also stressed the financial problems of student veterans, many of whom take out student loans despite having GI Bill benefits, and use the money to live on.