The Virginian-Pilot
©
WASHINGTON
Partisan wrangling kept Virginia Sen. Jim Webb's plan to expand veterans' education benefits off the House floor Thursday, but Democratic leaders said they still intend to act on the proposed "GI Bill" this month.
The legislation, which would give veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan aid to cover the cost of tuition at a public, in-state college, plus a monthly cost-of-living allowance, is tied to a hotly contested war appropriations bill.
Democrats want to bring the war spending proposal to the floor without the usual hearings in the House Appropriations Committee. That has sparked a Republican revolt, with GOP members using a variety of parliamentary tactics to delay action on other legislation on the House floor this week.
President Bush and Pentagon leaders say the spending bill must reach Bush's desk by mid-June or the military will run short of vital operating and training funds.
In a Pentagon briefing Thursday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates challenged suggestions that the Bush administration believes Webb's GI Bill plan is too generous to veterans.
He said the Pentagon wants to require that service members stay in uniform for six years before qualifying for college aid, twice as long as Webb's bill would require. With a volunteer force, "our desire is to keep soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines in the military as long as possible," he said.
The administration appears supportive of an alternative and more economical proposal advanced by Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Arizona's John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.
That bill has the six-year requirement plus provisions that would allow service members to transfer at least part of their tuition benefit to a spouse or child.
Dale Eisman, (703) 913-9872, dale.eisman@pilotonline.com
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Billions of dollars
Billions of dollars of our tax money has been spent blowing the heck out of a country based on a war of lies and billions more will be spent rebuilding that same country and people want to bicker about benefits to our vets. Shame on every darn one of you! You don't have to be killed to be a tragedy of this war. "Support Our Troops", yeah right! Constantly the republican party has thrown those words in the face of everyone if they oppose this war, but when it comes to "real support" they are the first ones to complain. Common sense goes a long ways, some should try and practice it!
Oh please
Some Democrats are concerned about the bill's cost and, because, they don't goose step to party leadership the way republicans do, they are asking questions. The Democratic majority isn't large enough to overcome a handful of doubters in its own ranks and rubber stamp republicans, so the legislation is stalled.
But I credit Webb for his efforts on behalf of veterans. Given how badly veterans have been treated by the bush administration and the rubber stamp party formerly known as republicans, Webb should get everyone's support.
4,000 dead and rising for a war based on lies. That's a pretty steep price too. Just how much is all that blood worth to the armchair conservatives who are spending it so freely?
Headline is half truth
I heard the GI bill was held up by DEMOCRATS who insist that Webb's bill be paid for. Sounds more like intraparty bickering to me: From another paper: "A small group of fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats is threatening to block the emergency war spending bill over a program for veterans’ benefits not offset with tax hikes or spending cuts. Because of that problem, and the efforts by House Republicans to stall floor action with procedural motions, the vote on the carefully crafted supplemental measure could be delayed until Friday or next week. “Some of us oppose creating a new entitlement program in an emergency spending bill, whether it’s butchers, bakers or candlestick-makers,” said Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.), a founding member of the Blue Dog Coalition who serves on the House leadership team as a deputy whip.
Cut back spending on anything else
but take care of the Vets.
republican party
The same repub party that sent our troops off to fight and die with inadequate protective equipment.
Republican President
This is the same Republican President that does not support our troops or our vets, but keeps insisting that we have to, and we do why can't he?
Democratic Party
This is the same Democratic party that has opposed nearly every pay raise for the military, the same Democratic party that has cut back on the ships and planes to a nearly critical level, the same Democratic party that has cut back on manpower to a point that we HAVE to send the reserves in for fight. Gotta love an election year!
Too generous
Bush thinks Webb's bill is too generous. There is nothing too generous for our military or our vets. This stinks to high you know what. I will be so glad when Bush is out of office and back in Texas where he should have never left.