U.S. lawmakers consider expanded GI Bill today
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- May
- 8
Update: Looks like the bill wasn’t voted on after all, either because Democrats are concerned about attaching the bill to the emergency war-spending plan, or maybe because President Bush has threatened to veto it. Let’s see where this goes… I’ve edited the headline and the original post to reflect the updated information.
Members of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) have their fingers crossed today, as the House of Representatives votes on considers an expansion of the GI Bill, legislation that would increase educational benefits for troops who have served since Sept. 11, 2001.
IAVA encouraged its members to call their lawmakers yesterday, urging them to approve the bill, which was introduced by combat veterans Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE). According to IAVA, the bill has bipartisan support of more than 330 senators and representatives (including New York’s Sen. Chuck Schumer) and the endorsement of every major veterans organization, from IAVA to the American Legion to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). But the bill has been criticized by the Bush administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs as costly, difficult to administer and a threat to troop retention efforts.
The new GI Bill is attached to a war spending package that costs nearly $200 billion, which also includes funds for international food aid and Louisiana levees, and sets conditions for redeployments and troop withdrawals.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 5:59 am by Nicole Neroulias.
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with all the monies spent on the wars in iraq and afganistan why cant we understand our politicans that spending monies on those who fought it after they come back is their right and our obligation. I hope they pass this bill a veteran a senior a grandparent and a american