Floor Statement on The Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship

Amendment, based on legislation co-sponored by Congressman Platts, passes U.S. House

Today, we will be considering as part of the Manager’s Amendment, an opportunity to provide financial assistance for higher education to the children of police officers, firefighters, and other first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.  Based on the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act that Representative Patrick Murphy introduced—with myself as a lead cosponsor—a child of one of these fallen service men and women would become automatically eligible for the maximum Pell Grant amount.  This benefit already exists for the children of military service members who are killed in action.

This legislation is aimed at ensuring we do right by police officers, firefighters and other first responders who put their own lives at risk everyday to keep us safe.  Making a college education more accessible to the children of these fallen heroes is an important expression of our Nation’s gratitude.  This legislation is a justified price for our Nation to pay to ensure that those serving on the front lines in our communities know that a higher education will be within their children’s reach should the unthinkable happen.