{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DE0341F0-C596-4C29-8B26-E58D2AB80F20", "Reserve Component Retirees to be Honored with Veteran Status", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "AR", "John Boozman", "B001236", "www.boozman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The U.S. Senate early Saturday approved legislation to improve services for our nation\u2019s veterans which included a Boozman-authored provision to honor as veterans, National Guard and Reserve retirees who served honorably for a minimum of 20 years but do not meet the active duty service requirement to qualify them as veterans under existing law.\r\nCurrent law defines veterans as servicemen and women who have served on active duty, other than for training, for 180 consecutive days or more. Boozman\u2019s language adds an honorary veteran status provision and allows these Guard and Reserve retirees to be recognized as veterans. Due to the fact that no additional benefits beyond the title of veteran are extended to these retirees, there is no cost associated with this legislation. Boozman worked with his colleagues on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to ensure bipartisan support for this legislation which has been stalled in the Senate for many years.\r\n\u201cMen and women who have honorably served in defense of our nation earned the recognition of veteran status. After 20 years of service in our nation\u2019s uniform, they deserve this honor,\u201d Boozman, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs said.\r\n\u201cWe would not be where we are today on veterans status for Guardsmen and Reservists without the tireless work of Senator Boozman,\u201d said retired Maj. Gen. Gus Hargett, the NGAUS president. \u201cHe was instrumental in getting the Senate to pass the legislation for the first time last year and has continued to carry the torch.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) congratulates the 114thCongress for passing H.R. 6416, The Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016. We are particularly pleased that the bill included Sec. 305 which grants honorary veteran status to our Guardsmen who served twenty years, but who did not meet the requisite requirements of time in Title 10 status during their career to earn veteran status\u2014one of our association\u2019s decade-long legislative resolutions and a topic near and dear to our members. On behalf of our membership, we wish to thank the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committee Members and Professional Staff for their help in resolving this issue. Now our members with twenty years of service can truly be recognized for their service and sacrifice for serving their country,\u201d said Sergeant Major Frank Yoakum, U.S. Army (Retired), Executive Director, EANGUS.\u00a0\r\nThe House of Representatives passed this legislation. It is now headed to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=DE0341F0-C596-4C29-8B26-E58D2AB80F20"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3967182021588087, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}