In a unified front seldom seen across state lines, Attorney General Dan Rayfield of Oregon has joined forces with his counterparts from every state, advocating for veterans' rights to full education benefits under the G.I. Bill. This unusual but powerful alliance was formed to support the legal battle of two military veterans, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yoon of the U.S. Army and Colonel Toby Doran of the U.S. Air Force, who were reportedly denied the full education benefits due to them by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
According to a brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the attorneys general argue that the VA's restrictive interpretation of the G.I. Bills is inconsistent with a recent Supreme Court ruling. As reported by KATU, the brief supports the precedent set by "Rudisill v. McDonough," which confirmed that eligible veterans are entitled to a full 48 months of education benefits. Despite this precedent, the VA has continued to limit benefits, effectively depriving veterans, and their families of educational opportunities they have rightfully earned.
This bipartisan coalition, unusual in its totality, indicates a strong commitment to rectifying what is seen by the attorneys general as a grave injustice. Rayfield told The Oregonian/OregonLive, “Our veterans deserve every benefit they’ve earned. The GI Bill is a promise we made, and standing together in this amicus brief sends a strong message: We will not let bureaucracy or red tape stand in the way of doing what’s right for those who’ve served.”
Attorney General Rayfield emphasized the moral duty involved in joining this effort, stating "No veteran who has served our country should be denied access to the education they’ve earned," in a statement obtained by KOBI5 News. The broad support for this cause includes attorneys general from states as varied as Alabama, Alaska, and California, to northern territories like the Northern Mariana Islands – showcasing that the advocacy for veterans' rights transcends regional partisanship.
