Arizona Politics

Mayes Helps Secure Education Benefits for Previously-Denied Veteran

Arizona Attorney General (AG) Kris Mayes applauded the recent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) decision to give full education benefits to the retired Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yoon.

LTC (Ret.) Yoon served in the Army for 24 years, making him qualified for the Post-9/11 GI and Montgomery GI Bills to receive 48 months of education benefits based on the length of his service.

However, Yoon claimed that the VA denied him the ability to transfer the benefits to his daughter, which flies in the face of Rudisill v. McDonough.

AG Mayes joined a bipartisan coalition of every Attorney General in the Union under the banner of Virginia's AG Jason Miyares to demand that the Yoons receive the full measure of benefits.

"Veterans put their lives on the line in service to us and to our country," said AG Mayes in her press release, adding, "It's our duty to uphold our promise to them and ensure every single veteran in America can access the benefits they earned while fighting for our freedom."

Similarly, AG Miyares stated, "I was proud to have led the bipartisan coalitions of 52 attorneys general fighting to ensure Virginia Army veteran Lieutenant Colonel Paul Yoon received every benefit he earned while fighting for our country and our freedom. I know there are many other veterans like Lieutenant Colonel Yoon out there—and I implore the VA to honor their service by permanently granting them full benefits as well."

At the beginning of August, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) backed the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment of 2025 (COLA) Act, which similarly increases the payout for benefits such as disability, dependency, and indemnity compensation and clothing allowances.

"Our veterans put their lives on the line for this country, and we owe it to them to make sure their benefits actually cover the cost of living," said Sen. Gallego, adding, "At a time when the cost of everything is going up, this bill is a commonsense way to make sure veterans aren't left behind by inflation."

Grayson Bakich

Grayson Bakich is a Florida and Arizona legislative correspondent for The Floridian and Cactus Politics, specializing in national and state-level politics. With three years' experience covering federal Florida, and Arizona politics, they have been cited by NewsBreak, SGT Report, Lucianne.com, and Cause Action. Email: grayson@dnm.news

Recent Posts

Greg Stanton Introduces Bipartisan Bill Finalizing In-Flight Phone Call Ban

Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) has introduced a bipartisan bill finalizing a total ban on in-flight…

3 days ago

Kris Mayes Joins $45 Million Settlement Against Cash App Over Fraud Failures

If you've ever used Cash App and wondered whether your money was truly safe, Attorney…

3 days ago

Katie Hobbs Highlights $642 Million in Medical Debt Erased for Nearly Half a Million Arizonans

Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) spoke with KTAR this week about her administration's medical debt relief…

3 days ago

RNC Wants Answers on JoAnna Mendoza's 2-Week Marriage to Syrian National

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has JoAnna Mendoza, the Democratic challenger to Representative Juan Ciscomani…

3 days ago

Mark Kelly Demands Transparent Investigation After Fatal ICE Shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is demanding a transparent investigation after a Houston man was fatally…

3 days ago

Ruben Gallego Backs Bill Improving Tribal Law Enforcement

Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is backing a bipartisan bill to improve Tribal law enforcement organizations'…

3 days ago