A Historic Vote

Last week I told you about a press conference in which leading Republicans and Democrats got together to call for a new GI Bill. And I said we'd have to wait to see if action was going to follow up those words. Tomorrow, we find out.

Congress has a historic choice to make. The House of Representatives is set to vote on a World War II-style GI Bill for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as an amendment to emergency supplemental war funding bill. And lawmakers will have to go on record as to whether they truly support our nation's newest generation of veterans.

The 21st Century GI Bill (S.22/H.R.5740) was originally introduced in Congress by some of the Senate's own combat veterans, including Senators Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel. This bill has the extraordinary bipartisan support of 57 Senators and 278 Representatives and the endorsement of every major Veterans Service Organization from the American Legion to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). About ten pieces of legislation in Congress today have that kind of bipartisan support -- and half of those bills authorize new stamps and coins. That a bill of this magnitude has such overwhelming support is almost unheard of.

This legislation would substantially increase the educational benefits available to service members who have served since September 11, 2001. It would cover the cost of tuition of up to the most expensive in-state public school and provide a living and book stipend, so new veterans can focus on their educations and readjusting to civilian life. The new GI Bill would also provide more equitable benefits to National Guardsman and Reservists, who have made up about a quarter of our fighting force in Iraq. And educational benefits would be linked to the cost of college, so they would keep their value over time. It is, in short, the right thing to do for the men and women who have made such a tremendous commitment to our country.

The momentum for a 21st Century GI Bill has been incredible. But it's time to finish the job. Tomorrow, we urge every member of Congress to vote "yes" on GI Bill funding and show unanimous support for our troops.

UPDATE: Typical gridlock in Washington has pushed the vote to early next week. And there will probably be more delays in the future as this bill goes through the Senate and to the President. The important thing is that in all this political wrangling, we don't lose sight of what this bill is supposed to be about: support for our troops. The GI Bill belongs in the emergency supplemental because it is a cost of war, and it's part of our promise to care for our troops. It's no different from bullets, body armor or bandages for the wounded. This bill has the support of more than half the House and half the Senate, and we expect to get past these procedural hurdles. At the end of the day, no patriotic American would understand if a member of Congress votes for a $100-plus billion dollar war bill and then nickel-and-dimes the troops who are fighting that war.

Help us get the word out. IAVA is encouraging its national membership to call their lawmakers and tell them to vote "yes" on the GI Bill. For more information on this critical issue, please visit www.GIBill2008.org.

Follow Paul Rieckhoff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PaulRieckhoff

Comments

[Dragon5616]

Thanks for the update, Paul. This GI Bill MUST be included in the supplemental.

I posted a link at Daily Kos for you.

[bomont]

The Five (5) Stages a nation goes through when it goes to war:
Stage One (1) Patriotic frenzy.
Stage Two (2) Mindless conformity, and intolerance of alternative opinions.
Stage Three (3) Death, loss, and destruction.
Stage Four (4) Collective re-evaluation.
Stage Five (5) Regret and remorse.
Advise to civilized society? Go directly to stage five (5) before contemplating future wars.

[SLH]

The arguments supporting this bill are fallacious at best. The fact of the matter is that with an economy like ours there is no justifiable reason not to provide higher education (not to mention healthcare and public transport) to ALL US citizens- not just the ones who have aspirations and are willing to potentially be killed to achieve them. Without even considering the illegality and maliciousness of signing up for a program that systematically kills innocent civilians i.e. the military; we can say that coaxing disadvantaged persons into military "service" with education and healthcare is an deplorable act for a modern industrialized country to practice. If we had a congress who really acted on behalf of the people of this country, rather than the military industrial complex and the federal reserve (this is not conspiracy talk go read a book before dismissing this), then our military would indeed be fighting for the so called "freedom" that we dont enjoy; and i would gladly sign up.

[Jess27]

Paul (or anyone who knows the answer),
I am a post 9-11 vet and am currently receiving the GI Bill. Do you know if they are going to backdate vets like me who have been collecting the GI Bill for over a year and accumulated debt because the benefits are insufficient?

The best part is I am almost done with my school, so if I don't get backdated, I will be SOL with thousands of dollars in student loan debt. I have read the proposed legislation, but I do not see anything in there about backdating so I will probably just be one of the lucky ones that falls through the cracks and not get the benefit that I could have if I waited to go to school.

[jdenham]

Thanks Paul for your work on this bill. Let all let our Representatives know.

[londubh]

Where's the money to treat PTSD?

[veteran1964]

Hello Paul,

Again, as a Veteran, I commend you for your service and we, as Veterans have been very pissed at this administration and their fear mongering and their inability to take care of the soldiers...who performed valiantly in their duties. Our soldiers deserve more than CEOs in their high positions. Our soldiers deserve all the schooling they need to adjust to civilian life. Our soldiers deserve a home and a family like others. Our soldiers deserve all the medical needs that they have to have through their WHOLE life. Our soldiers should not be used as pawns in FEAR TACTICS. If you praise the military, take care of them. I am sickened to see this administration talk about us Democrats being non-patriotic and chickens....I've been a Democrat all of my life (62 years) and I sure am not a pussy. I may not wear a FLAG PIN, but I have my patriotism in my heart and mind. I don't have health care and I don't have benefits, so I sure am NOT FIGHTING THIS FOR MY OWN BENEFIT. I am fighting for my fellow warriors that put their lives on the line every single day for our freedom-------and sometimes for useless wars. God bless our soldiers and God bless our country. Anything that helps our men and women of the service needs to be PASSED IN GOOD ORDER without anyone bitching about it.

Thanks,

Jim McCoy
Franklin, N.C.

[edgemo]

Including having few options, and so being forced to join the active service. Such is the case for the 'all volunteer' military.

I think this is also why, in the very recent past so many Republicans (including John McCain), have been reluctant to support these bills.

[PatCroft]

I was drafted about 35 years ago. And since and because of injuries, I was never quite able to pick up where I left off before being drafted. The GI Bill was not very good then and it is probably much worse now. For my injuries I collect $117.00 a month (10%). Working with the VA has been a nightmare and I would rather eat dog shit. It is impossible to sue the Government so what do we do. Absorb it! Absorb the pain and the sacrifice with no recourse. I hate this government!

[zjr909]

I just read an article in Truthout that the Blue Dog Democrats may be poised to block the GI portion of this emergency war funding bill - thereby saving Republicans the discomfort of having to wallow in unpatriotic muck! Is there nothing so sleazy that a Blue Dog Democrat can't be found to champion it? Of course, that only underscores the larger picture: the utter hypocrisy of flag pins and cries of Support the Troops. What's the term that applies here? Oh yeah: Put your money where your mouth is!

[GrkAm]

Paul: Thank you for your dedication to the issue of our veterans. This should never be remotely associated to any party. Our military stands ready to defend our country and freedoms at a moment's notice by putting our troops' lives on the line daily. This is a humanitarian issue above all else. ANYONE who leaves their home, jobs, friends, mothers, fathers, siblings, wives and children to honor an oath taken to defend the USA in, yet again, a polarizing war.

These men and women are now deployed for (up to) 15 months. As stressed as the average American's life is today, nothing compares with the idea of being killed or maimed on a daily basis.

Our troops deserve all of the benefits that the GI bill provided in the past. It's the LEAST we can do!

[Queenhuh]

Why don't "we" the citizenry, start to use our brains and do the thinking process for ourselves. If individuals didn't volunatary enter into the military, this government would be hard pressed to create and invent wars. A very small and organized military is all that's necessary to prevent attack invasion/attack from outside which as we all know, won't happen. Unconventional attack, such as civilian terrorism etc, is the warfare of today and the future. It's hard to support individuals who voluntarily signed on the dotted line, knowing full well, they will be deployed into countries who neither attacked us nor had designs on doing so. The end of the disaster known as the Vietnam War was a draft, so many soldiers had no choice. Because a misguided individual signs on the dotted line and has a license to kill people, doesn't not automatically give them hero status! Everyone needs to take back their power and start using the grey matter we were born with which includes the blindness this nation has been indoctrinated with regard to supporting the troops regardless of the awful and horrible outcomes. Pathetic!!

[ThinlyVeiled]

That's a pretty cold argument. The military is a good option for some people who really benefit from the strucutre and stability. Oh yeah, and they get shot at. So you're saying that after these kids get shipped off to war we should shit on them even more when they get home. That's pathetic.

[susieq1001]

Use your own brain: if individuals didn't voluntarily enter into the military, the draft would be re-instituted.

Personally, I would much rather spend money on supporting our troops who have served, than on the war itself. I don't support the Iraq war (the Afghanistan war is another matter).

But I DO support our troops and would gladly pay for their education.

[wheresthebeef]

And why shouldn't the draft be re-instituted? Do you really believe for a moment that if we had a system of universal service (with an option to select either military or civil service) that this war would have drawn on for five years and that over 4,000 Americans would have given their lives for it?
It's clear that Bush won't end the war, Congress won't end the war and, until they're threatened with paying for it with their own blood, the American people as a whole won't take to the streets to end it themselves. So who's left? I maintain that it's those who might consider volunteering for the military.

[littleblackcat]

Queenhuh, has the republican party lobotomized you? You would sound funny (weird) if you didn't sound so damned stupid. MOST of our military today is in the military because of the offers of money and educational support. The VAST majority of people in this country do not have the luxury of "portfolios" and when politicians and others speak of the "mean average" wage in this nation being at $43,350.00 or thereabouts, this factors in the thieves in CEO positions who rake in the millions yearly. The simple truth is more like $30,000.00 or about $550 a week. College is NOT an option without saddling yourself with years of student loan payments so the offer of $20,000 toward your chance to get a toehold in this ever greedier and tilted-toward-the-rich nation seems a good one. Look at how far down the enlistment figures are and the fact that those with certain criminal backgrounds and lack of a high school education are now being accepted. This is because those with any other option are smart enough NOT to join. Furthermore, FAR TOO MANY of those currently in harm's way are those who enlisted BEFORE this mess became the horror story of stupid mismanagement and chicanery it has turned into. Use YOUR "grey matter"! Those who are there are being reversely conscripted by being denied the ability to GO HOME and STAY THERE once their tours are complete.

[SLH]

Littleblackcat, your arguments are fallacious at best. The fact of the matter is that with an economy like ours there is no justifiable reason not to provide higher education (not to mention healthcare and public transport) to ALL US citizens- not just the ones who have aspirations and are willing to potentially be killed to achieve them. Without even considering the illegality and maliciousness of signing up for a program that systematically kills innocent civilians i.e. the military; we can say that coaxing disadvantaged persons into military "service" with education and healthcare is an deplorable act for a modern industrialized country to practice. If we had a congress who really acted on behalf of the people of this country, rather than the military industrial complex and the federal reserve (this is not conspiracy talk go read a book before dismissing this), then our military would indeed be fighting for the so called "freedom" that we dont enjoy; and i would gladly sign up.

[wheresthebeef]

(OOPS)>
As I was saying...
OOPS...
As I was saying...
The argument that "FAR TOO MANY of those currently in harm's way are those who enlisted BEFORE this mess became the horror story of stupid mismanagement and chicanery it has turned into." as also seriously flawed. The terms of enlistment (and re-enlistment, so far as I know) are three and four years, depending on the branch of service. That being the case, the vast majority, if not all, of the troops serving in Iraq either enlisted or re-enlisted AFTER it became obvious that the war in Iraq was an immoral and ultimately un-American endeavor.
I feel compassion for those whose youth, innocence or economic straits may have contributed to their decision to volunteer. But I have a difficult time being an enabler of enablers.

[wheresthebeef]

Queenhuh...you'll take a lot of heat for this, but, as a non-draftee, two-tour veteran of Viet Nam I have to agree. It was the draft that mobilized America against that war, and the absence of a draft which has resulted in the do-nothing complacency with which this war's been met. And the argument that many of today's enlistees have somehow been forced to enlist becaause of lack of economic opportunity elsewhere is, at the same time, sad and laughable. Why not take up bank robbery or armed extortion, either of which would be as morally defensible as volunteering to help enable a continuing war.
Finally, the argument that "FAR TOO MANY of those currently in harm's way are those who enlisted BEFORE this mess became the horror story of stupid mismanagement and chicanery it has turned into

[lobo1939]

That would be great if the congress also enacted the tax rates the US had from 1933 until the 1950s. Then we could afford not only WWII style benifits for the vets, but could also finance W's wars without borrowing from China and the Arabs. Oil company CEOs would scream but there are more of us than them.

[crease]

Our soldiers deserve anything we can give them after what they have been through and continue to endure. These brave men and women have been throgh hell because of this administration and I will pay my share and then some to make life better for them. As americans, cost should not matter and will not take presidence over anything else.God Bless our men and women in uniform. Thank you Senator Webb and Hagel.

[bobo209]

Republican achievements..
for almost 8 years..

Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered In US War And Occupation Of Iraq "1,206,950"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In U.S. War And Occupation Of Iraq 4,073


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cost of U.S. War and Occupation of Iraq

$517,684,814,259

care to comment

[BlackWidowPilot]

Let's add the actual performance record of the GOP as the "party of family values:"

http://www.armchairsubversive.org

"Family values" only Caligula or David Koresh would recognize.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen