Military & Veterans Coalition Joins Call for Diverse Representation on Dept. of Ed Neg-Reg Committees

Led by the National Defense Committee, a coalition of military and veterans’ organizations called on Education Secretary Miguel Cardona today to investigate “disproportionate representation” on the Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking committees.

Five organizations representing a broad range of military and veterans’ issues joined the letter. Noting the Department’s repeated appointment of Barmak Nassirian as the primary veterans’ representative on no fewer than four negotiated rulemaking committees, the signers urge Secretary Cardona to “fully investigate the Department’s negotiated rulemaking process and to take corrective action.”

The National Defense Committee first raised this issue with the Department of Education in letter sent more than two months ago. The Department has yet to reply.

NDC’s February letter called attention to the fact that Veterans Education Success (VES), Mr. Nassirian’s employer, was censured by the Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Investigator General for violating conflict of interest laws. VES refused to comply with the investigation. The violation should preclude VES and its representatives from participating on any negotiated rulemaking committee. Yet, Mr. Nassirian was appointed again less than 18 months after the VAOIG investigation.

NDC’s letter also called attention to Mr. Nassirian’s well-documented biases against career colleges, which are a preferred higher education option for military and veteran students. Mr. Nassirian has accused career colleges of “raping and pillaging” students and compared the schools to “door-to-door Bible salesmen.”

“The integrity of the Department’s Negotiated Rulemaking Process is threatened by the repeated and continued appointment of Mr. Nassirian, as well as any employees or contractors of VES,” the coalition letter states. “We urge the Department to fully investigate the Department’s negotiated rulemaking process and to take corrective action.”

Two of the six organizations that joined today’s letter endorsed Mr. Nassirian’s appointment to a negotiated rulemaking committee three years ago. That endorsement letter stated the following:

“We urge you to recognize the importance of including legitimate representatives of this constituency who have the full faith and confidence of the organizations listed below. Others purporting to represent this community, but lacking similar support, may have alternative agendas contrary to the broader desires of the veterans we represent across the country.”

That statement was true then, and it is true now—demonstrating why the Department of Education must choose different military and veterans’ representatives to serve on future negotiated rulemaking committees.

The coalition letter includes the following organizations:

• National Defense Committee
• American GI Forum
• Vets 4 Vet Leadership
• Military Order of the Purple Heart
• Wounded Paw Project
• Heroes Athletic Association

Read the Full Letter Here.