Military Update: GOP senators sweeten their plan for GI Bill

[unhappycamper]

Military Update: GOP senators sweeten their plan for GI Bill
By Tom Philpott, Special to Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, May 24, 2008

Senate Republicans who support the war in Iraq have sweetened their plan to enhance the Montgomery GI Bill education benefit in the hope of winning the support of more veterans groups and blocking enactment of a new, more costly GI Bill from Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.).

These Republicans, led by Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), John McCain (Ariz.) and Richard Burr (N.C.), agree with defense officials that the Webb plan would entice too many servicemembers to leave after completing their initial service obligations, driving down retention rates in wartime.

The Webb plan, which the House passed in mid-May and the Senate OK’d Thursday, has been favored by most veterans groups because it would pay full tuition and fees at the most expensive state schools, provide a new monthly stipend tied to local housing costs, and would give Reserve and Guard members who have served lengthy deployments since 9/11 access to the same GI Bill benefits.

The Graham plan would enhance Montgomery GI Bill benefits rather than establish a new GI Bill for post-9/11 veterans. But benefits would not match the Webb bill. Graham’s key feature is to give the services authority to allow transfer of up to 18 months of unused education benefits to spouses or children if members serve at least six years. Monthly payments and the transferability feature would be enhanced for service beyond 12 years.

Webb and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), an original co-sponsor of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, announced Tuesday that they would back a new amendment from Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) to allow testing of a transferability option for their new-era GI Bill.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=55034



uhc comment: I guess these guys weren't watching C-SPAN yesterday. :shrug:

[Ian David]

1. So? Let's give them The Webb Ammendment and add all the Repuke perks ON TOP of them after the veto.