Major Victory for Vets: Bush Withdraws Veto Threat Over New GI Bill

For anyone following the fight for a new GI Bill, progress seemed to slow to a crawl recently. After the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the veterans' education benefit as a part of the war funding supplemental, reconciling their two versions of the legislation faced serious and unexpected roadblocks. And even if Congress got the GI Bill to the President, the threat of a Bush veto was always looming.

Last night, all that changed. A critical agreement has been reached between leadership in the House of Representatives and the White House on the fate of the war funding bill.

In a very rare reversal of opinion, the Bush administration withdrew their long-held objections to a new GI Bill that would fully fund the cost of a public college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The bill agreed on includes the entire World War II-style GI Bill that IAVA has been championing for over a year. The final bill will also allow service members who stay in the military to transfer their education benefits to their spouses and children. This is another great, bipartisan step towards providing our veterans with the benefits they have earned.

And the forward momentum continued today, when the House again voted in favor of the new GI Bill, supporting the bill by an overwhelming margin of 416 to 12. You can see the complete roll call here.

The next (and hopefully final) steps in the GI Bill fight will be for the Senate to sign off on this version of the supplemental and get this hard-fought legislation to the president's desk. You can follow these last steps at www.GIBill2008.org.

This Sunday, June 22nd, will mark 64 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the original GI Bill into law. Thanks to this accord between House leadership and the administration, there is now a real chance that we could see a new GI Bill signed within days of this anniversary. As FDR said in his signing statement,

"[The GI Bill] gives emphatic notice to the men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not intend to let them down."

Though we still have a way to go, I believe that the fight for this new GI Bill will be remembered as a great example of Washington choosing patriotism over partisanship.

Comments

[usmc917]

This is a major victory for veterans, but there are still many problems that need to be addressed. Check out this article from south GA: http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/open_access/news/291867869394035.php

Luckily, veterans like Bill Gillespie in GA-1 are standing up to run for office and spearhead veteran issues.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Thanks for all your hard work, Paul, and while I DON'T appreciate the continued full funding of the preznutz' occupation for STEALING IRAQ'S OIL, there's no doubt OUR troops deserve every benefit we can provide them, and you've personally committed great effort to making it happen. If we could now only ALSO fix the health benefits of reservists and families, and then get truly objective reviews of the criminal denials of disability benefits for all OUR soldiers, we'll have almost made things right by these patriotic and veteran Americans.

Thank you, sir, again.

[SamEllison]

Paul, I love ya man but we kissed the Constitution good bye to get this bill passed.
We have all been had, played like a fine piana.

[gonavy]

How long does a service member have to be in to qualify for this new GI Bill? I know there have been changes and compromises to Webb's original bill. I can't find these details.

Does anyone have any links I can find these things on?

[GnitenGoodLk]

Here are a few gonavy.

http://www.gibill2008.org/faq.html

The actual bills, Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act (S. 22 and H.R. 5740),

S. 22
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=s110-22

H.R. 5740
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c110:1:./temp/~c110I9gzXX::

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-5740

The best place to go is Pauls' site for updates & info.
http://www.iava.org/take-action

These bills aren't completely out of the woods yet, so anyone able to pitch in is great.

[GnitenGoodLk]

a better link to the bill:
Thomas:

http://thomas.loc.gov/

Type in "5740" under word search (don't search bill #) The whole thing comes up.
Some of the gov links move quite a bit. Just go to their main search if they no longer work.

[yankee452]

thank you Paul!

[hopeless277]

Great! And another 1000 American and 100,000 Iraq lives will be lost in the year of funding that accompanied the GI Bill. It's basically saying to the troops that they can get their education if they survive Iraq in one piece. Hell of a price to pay for a diploma.

[Jander]

This IS good news and Thank you Paul !

However as your article states:
"The next (and hopefully final) steps in the GI Bill fight will be for the Senate to sign off on this version of the supplemental and get this hard-fought legislation to the president's desk."

It is not over yet please keep us updated and informed.

[Rescisco]

The veteren's plan, drafted by Senator Webb, passes the House and Bush will sign it. Good. But the House also approved another $162 billion to continue the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan well into 2009 (again, without the deadline for troop withdrawals that Pelosi and many Democrats want). Republicans applauded the war funding provision. Frankly, anytime Republicans are applauding it means disaster for the country these days. A mixed day to say the least. On a more positive note, the $95.5 billion for unemployment and veterans benefits, and the $2.65 billion for Midwest flood relief should be applauded by all of us.

[springsm]

That was probably the deal. "You give me all the money I need to keep war going and I won't veto the GI Bill".......that is how it works. What is really interesting, is that bush stopped with his petulant little boy bully talk and did a semi captulation. But he did get MORE money to further his war. AND then of course, he will get his way with immunity for the criminals in the spying cases. My gawd..we can't get rid of him soon enough and then what? Are people going to step up to the plate, put their pettiness aside to vote for Obama or are they going to elect "myfriends". Beware Folks, be very aware.

[CaseyBabes]

The usual blarney-filled article more intended to denigrate than inform. Fact is, the President dropped his veto threat after getting revisions to the bill his advisors recommended.
As an Air Force 22-year vet I often wondered why this new bill went so far to provide such extensive veteran benefits. To me, seems serving one's country is intended to be reward in itself, in effect a privelege of honor, that's all. No reward is necessary. Too bad though, that the GI Bill is what it has become............a bribe to encourage enlistment. So much for honorable service for service's sake.

[sxm342]

Just when I think W's Administration has bottomed out; they find a way to set the bar lower. I would be very wary of W's signing statement. It wouldn't surprise me if he made the education benefits dependent on attending a Baghdad University.

[Robert Mackey - Huffpost Blogger]

My main question is this. If you can transfer benefits to children after 10 years, does that mean that the only people who could do so are those who serve(d) from 11 Sep 2001 to 11 Sep 2011? What about those who have benefits, like me, and served for 3-4 years after Sep 11 01, and retired after 25 years of service?

In other words, is there a 'benefits gap' that basically pushes the cost of this to a later administration, and is that why the current administration signed off on it? That those who fall in between (serve more than 3 years after Sep 11, then retire before 2011)

[RickO]

I guess this is good news for McCain. He finally has something to disagree with Bush.

[dadw5boys]

IT IS NOT SIGNED YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUSH HAS FOOLED PEOPLE WITH SIGNING STATEMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CatfishJohn]

...Paul, i am responding to this GREAT NEWS at this very moment from a homeless veterans trainign program where i consult as a V.A.. doc . later this morning i will have the opportunity to inform about 50 vets in a class i teach of this important , very positive news and will ask them to remember your name and your organization for your relentless efforts on their behalf. these young returnees from Iraq and Afghanistan just recieved a well-deserved life opportunity thanks to you sir. in this era of hypercompetitiveness in many career tracks , its good to know they will have access to intensive education at out many fine pulbic univeristies without having to work full time to afford the 1 or 2 classes a semester they would otherwise be taking and barely affording. this level playing field with civilian students will allow them to focus on their studies and propel themselves forward successfully in this fiercely competitve job market, which would not otherwise have likely been the case for so many of them.

[glenda]

Wow Paul this is fantastic. And I understand that with the next major domestic spying and war funding bills passed by this courageous democratic congress will give military members free homes, free meals for life at Applebees and European vacations for their grandchildren. These benefits will also pass to their second cousins family's if they stay in the service.

Too be fair congress will extend these benefits to Haliburton and Blackwell mercenaries as well. You really are a hero Paul - at the right price!