Congressmen Say VMI Bills Could Affect Training
Several members of Virginia’s congressional delegation have asked the federal government to review legislation currently under consideration in the Virginia General Assembly that affects Virginia Military Institute, arguing the proposals could interfere with the institute’s role in training future military officers.
In a March 5 letter addressed to President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, 6th District Congressman Ben Cline and four Republican colleagues — Rob Wittman, Morgan Griffith, Jen Kiggans and John McGuire — urged federal officials to examine two Virginia House bills that would study or alter aspects of governance at the state-supported military college in Lexington.
The lawmakers wrote that the legislation, House Bill 1374 and House Bill 1377, could have implications beyond Virginia because VMI is one of the nation’s designated “Senior Military Colleges,” institutions recognized under federal law for producing commissioned officers through Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs.
“If a state legislature may unilaterally restructure, politically condition, or subject a federally recognized Senior Military College to recurring review of its military mission, that precedent could apply equally to every SMC operating under Title 10,” the letter states. “Such actions risk weakening the uniform federal framework that governs officer development across multiple states and institutions.”
The letter asks the departments of Defense, Justice and Education to review the proposed legislation and assess whether it could affect federal military training programs, officer commissioning pipelines or civil-rights compliance requirements tied to federal funding.
The lawmakers also requested that the Defense Department (which the Trump administration has directed officials to refer to as the “Department of War” in communications) examine whether similar actions by state legislatures could affect other Senior Military Colleges nationwide.
In addition to a federal review, the letter suggests the Defense Department consider participating in any future state-level study of VMI, including the advisory task force proposed in HB 1377.
The letter comes as the Virginia legislature continues to debate the VMI-related bills, which were introduced following ongoing disputes over governance, culture and oversight at the institution.
HB 1377, sponsored by Del. Dan Helmer, would establish an advisory task force to examine the institute’s governance structure, funding, and broader role in Virginia’s higher education system.
Meanwhile, HB 1374, sponsored by Del. Michael Feggans, was substantially rewritten earlier in the session. The bill originally proposed transferring governance of VMI to the board of another Virginia university, but was later amended to instead change the composition requirements of VMI’s Board of Visitors.
The amended version keeps VMI’s board intact but limits the number of alumni who may serve, increases the number of non-alumni Virginia residents on the board and requires that at least five of the governor-appointed members have senior-level U.S. military experience.
VMI Superintendent David J. Furness has publicly supported the amended version of HB 1374, saying the changes maintain the institute’s governance structure while ensuring continued oversight focused on VMI’s mission.
In their letter, Cline and the other members of Congress argue that state lawmakers should consider the broader national role of institutions such as VMI before implementing structural changes.
They cite concerns previously raised in outside advocacy documents, including a resolution from the Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA) and an open letter from the advocacy group Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services (STARRS).
The AFSA resolution, dated Feb. 11, called for federal agencies to review the bills and assess whether they could affect federal military programs or civil rights obligations tied to federal funding.
The STARRS open letter, dated Feb. 18, contended that changes to the institute’s governance or military training framework could affect the federal government’s interest in maintaining officer production pipelines and military readiness, and asked federal officials to consider participating in any state task force studying VMI.
Last Friday’s congressional letter echoes many of the same arguments and uses similar terminology as these two documents.
The letter was also sent to leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, as well as other federal officials involved in military oversight.
As of this week, HB 1377 has been approved by the state Senate Finance and Appropriations committee and will head to a vote by the Senate. HB 1374 has been approved by the Senate Education and Health committee and is also awaiting a final vote.
The General Assembly is set to conclude this weekend.
