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UPDATE: McCAIN AND REPUBLICANS OFFER THEIR VERSION
OF A NEW G.I. BILL -- McCain's version called a
"pale shadow"
of new G.I. Bill offered by Sen. Jim Webb.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
For the previous story on this issue, click
here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfAPR08/nf041708-8.htm
We have two pieces of information...first is a
news story...second is a press release from a co-sponsor of the
legislation, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Ranking Member on the Senate
Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
News story here...
http://thehill.com/leading-the-n
ews/sen.-mccain-seeks-cover-with-gibill-2008-04-22.html
Story below:
-------------------------
Sen. McCain seeks cover with GI bill
By Roxana Tiron
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Tuesday
unveiled an overhaul of the GI bill to defend himself from veteran-group
criticism and steal a bit of thunder from Sen. Jim Webb (Va.), a potential
Democratic vice presidential candidate.
The move comes after McCain, a former Navy officer and prisoner of war,
was heavily criticized by thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for
not supporting Webb’s bill. The criticism was unusual for McCain, who has
relied on his military credentials during the campaign.
McCain’s bill is designed to enhance the existing Montgomery GI Bill, but
will compete for Senate votes with Webb’s measure, which already has 57
co-sponsors, including Democratic presidential hopefuls Sens. Barack Obama
(Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.).
Webb’s bill, which covers the full cost for veterans to attend a state
university, also has the support of Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), McCain’s
predecessor as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Webb had
been pressing McCain to sponsor his bill for weeks, but McCain refused.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close ally of
McCain’s and co-sponsor of the bill, told The Hill it is not meant to
compete with Webb’s measure.
“I hope we can just have a marrying of interests,” Graham said. “We need
to get this done.”
At the same time, McCain and other supporters of the new bill touted it as
an improvement over Webb’s measure. Some military officials have worried
the Webb bill’s wouls provide such an incentive for active-duty military
to attend school that it would make it hard for the military to retain
soldiers.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) blasted the GOP bill as a “pale
shadow” of the Webb measure, and criticized McCain for having “no problem
spending $12 billion a month on an open-ended civil war in Iraq.” He said
the McCain bill would shortchange veterans.
The McCain-sponsored bill aims to increase the $1,100 per month
active-duty service members now get for educational expenses to $1,500.
The sum would increase to $2,000 per month for a member who served on
active duty 12 years or more.
In addition, under the McCain bill, members of the military could transfer
half their benefits to their spouses and children if they serve for six
years and all of their educational benefits if they serve 12 years.
Members of the National Guard and Reserves who have been called to active
duty since Sept. 11, 2001, would receive $1,200 a month, an increase from
$880.
Those who have entered the military through the Reserve Officers Training
Corps programs at universities across the country would also be eligible
if they continue to serve past their ROTC commitments, and would also be
eligible to transfer benefits to their families. Graham said this would
keep larger number of officers in the military.
“We should encourage service members to remain in the military, and they
should be rewarded with additional benefits if they do,” McCain said in a
release announcing his proposal.
Webb’s bill is the top legislative priority for several veterans’ groups,
including the nonpartisan Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
Its projected cost to the federal treasury is about $4 billion per year.
Webb has argued his bill is necessary because the current GI bill cannot
pay for today’s cost of higher education.
The most a veteran can receive now is approximately $9,600 per year for
four years. Those who served combat tours with the National Guard or
Reserves are eligible for even less — typically just $440 per month, or
$5,280 a year.
By contrast, the College Board reports that the average four-year public
college costs more than $65,000, or about $16,250 a year, for an in-state
student. A private university costs on average about $133,000 for four
years.
McCain and Graham have criticized the Webb bill as difficult to
administer, and as hurting military retention.
Webb countered that assertions that his bill is too difficult to
administer and too generous and would harm services’ retention “are
wrong.”
“S. 22 is hardly too generous, unless these senators are prepared to say
that the World War II GI Bill was too generous,” Webb said in a statement.
“To the contrary, during 15 months of daily cooperation with all of our
major veterans’ groups and many members of Congress, we have refined this
legislation in many important ways. It is our best collective, bipartisan
effort to mirror the type of benefits given to those who served in World
War II.”
Statistics show that up to 75 percent of Army soldiers and Marines who
enlist return to civilian life at or before the end of their first
enlistment.
“The military is already doing a very good job of managing its career
force,” Webb said in a statement. “It is not doing a very good job of
assisting this large group of people as they attempt to readjust to
civilian life. A good GI Bill will increase the pool of people interested
in serving, lower first-term attrition, and would have a negligible effect
on retention itself.”
Walter Alarkon contributed to this story.
-------------------------
Sen. Burr press release here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/scva08/scva042208-3.htm
Press release below:
-------------------------
Graham, Burr, McCain Unveil Legislation to Assist
Servicemembers, Veterans, Guardsmen and Reservists with Increased
Education Benefits
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Burr (R-NC), and
John McCain (R-AZ) today unveiled the Enhancement of Recruitment,
Retention, and Readjustment through Education Act.
The Graham-Burr-McCain bill enhances the existing Montgomery G.I. Bill by
improving education benefits for servicemembers, veterans, and members of
the Guard and Reserve. The legislation will help more military personnel
attend college debt-free, and allow them to transfer their education
benefits to their spouse or children. It also bolsters recruitment and
retention efforts, encouraging servicemembers to continue their military
careers.
"It is time we give back to those who have served and continue to serve
our nation so valiantly," said Graham. "I'm proud to be part of this
effort to recognize and reward the sacrifices service members and their
families are making on behalf of a grateful nation. Our legislation
increases the monthly benefit for active duty and reserve personnel and
greatly expands the education benefits available to service members. For
the first time we ensure that all servicemembers will be permitted to
transfer their education benefits to their spouses and children, a much
needed and long overdue improvement."
"An increase in Montgomery G.I. benefits is long
overdue," Burr said. "This legislation goes a long way in providing
servicemembers with the ability to attend college debt-free and improves
one of the best recruiting and retention tools the armed forces have. I am
pleased our bill will also allow more family members to take advantage of
the education benefits that their loved ones in the military did not use.
This measure is a simple and fair way to help active duty, veterans,
Guard, and Reserves attain their educational goals and to encourage
military careers."
"We have an obligation to provide unwavering support to our nation's
veterans, and that is precisely what this legislation does," said McCain.
"Men and women who serve their country in uniform deserve the best
education benefits we are able to give them. That is why I am pleased to
join with Senators Graham and Burr to announce legislation that
significantly enhances the Montgomery GI bill and promotes recruitment and
retention which is critical to an All Volunteer Military."
The legislation provides:
* An immediate increase in education benefits for active duty personnel to
$1500 a month, and to improve retention, those benefits increase to $2000
a month after 12 or more years of service.
* Significantly increased benefit for members of the National Guard and
Reserves.
* Transferability, the ability of service members to transfer their
education benefits to dependents. After 6 years, half of the benefit may
be transferred and after 12 years 100% may be transferred to a spouse or
dependent children.
* Student loan repayment. Allows servicemembers to use up to $6,000 per
year of Montgomery G.I. Bill education benefits to repay Federal student
loans.
* Creation of a matching program to help more veterans graduate debt-free.
Up to an additional $3,000 per year could be paid by the Department of
Veterans Affairs in return for the school retiring some or all of the
servicemember's debt.
* Access to Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits for service academy graduates
and Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps officers who continue serving.
* Builds on existing educational benefits program to ensure rapid
implementation with minimal additional administrative costs.
"We do not need to reinvent the wheel," said Graham. "Our legislation
improves benefits and modernizes the Montgomery G.I. Bill education
program without creating new levels of red tape and bureaucracy."
"The Montgomery G.I. Bill education program is an extremely effective tool
that creates a more educated workforce and helps our armed forces recruit
the best our country has to offer," Burr said. "This legislation ensures
the MGIB program will continue to help veterans, our military, and our
country."
"We should encourage servicemembers to remain in the military, and they
should be rewarded with additional benefits if they do," said McCain.
"And, we need to ensure that families are not forgotten, which is why our
legislation would allow servicemembers to transfer their benefits to their
spouses or children if they so choose."
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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