WASHINGTON – On Saturday, the Student Veterans of America awarded U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) – ranking member and chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) – the Sonny Montgomery Student Veteran Champion Award at their annual conference. This award recognizes Sens. Moran and Tester’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic to pass several emergency bills to address the needs of student veterans during the pandemic.

“Last year was a year like no other, and when the pandemic began, organizations like SVA came to Congress with a clear message – we need to minimize the impact on student veterans as much as possible during these unprecedented times,” said Ranking Member Moran. “I want to thank Student Veterans of America for their work to support our nation’s student veterans and their families. With the help of SVA, we were able to swiftly pass several emergency bills to protect GI Bill beneficiaries attending school. Congress can often be a partisan place, but I truly believe the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee is the gold standard for how Congress should work, and these packages were a testament to that bipartisanship.”

“Student Veterans of America has been a strong partner in our ongoing fight to get veterans the education benefits they’ve earned, and I’m grateful for their continued hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic and for honoring me and Ranking Member Moran with this award,” said Chairman Tester. “Together, will continue to build on bills such as the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act and push to make the G.I. Bill the best possible educational assistance program for our men and women in uniform.”

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