House OKs plan to improve GI education benefits
Submitted by Kat on May 15, 2008 - 3:53pm.
Veterans & Military
House OKs plan to improve GI education benefits
Thu, May 15, 2008 (1:22 p.m.) | The Associated Press via Yahoo
The House on Thursday passed a Democratic plan sharply boosting education benefits for Iraq-Afghanistan veterans and awarding people whose unemployment benefits have expired with a 13-week extension.
The 266-166 fell short of the two-thirds needed to overcome a promised veto by President Bush.
The Democratic plan would impose a surtax on individual incomes exceeding $500,000 to pay for the 10-year, $52 billion cost of boosting the GI Bill to provide Iraq veterans with college educations. Couples would pay the tax on income exceeding $1 million.
It comes on the heels of the unexpected defeat of a $163 billion bill covering the costs of funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Republicans withheld support for the funding measure in protest of Democratic tactics. That kills the war funding for now, but it'll be revived next week in the Senate.
This bill (The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act) is the same bill that General Clark and VoteVets have worked to get passed.
See: McCain must lead the charge
By Wesley K. Clark and Jon Soltz | Los Angeles Times | April 10, 2008
[ I haven't read these articles yet - but the process in the Senate is going differently than in the House unfortunately ]
The battle over the GI Bill
MSNBC - 6 hours ago
Dick Durbin, the No.2 Senate Democrat, said it was about the presidential campaign. "He's trying to bring his version of the GI Bill to a vote on the Senate ...
Congress Tries To Reach Middle Ground On New GI Bill, But Cost ... MTV.com
Tax hike to finance Webb's GI bill set for House vote Daily Press
Senate battles over GI Bill improvements ArmyTimes.com
The Hill - Think Progress
all 394 news articles »
Javno.hrSenate Democrats reject taxing rich to boost GI Bill
The Associated Press - May 14, 2008
The new GI Bill would essentially guarantee a full-ride scholarship to any in-state public university, along with a monthly housing stipend, for individuals ...
First Victory on GI Bill Today Huffington Post
House votes to boost GI Bill benefits The Virginian-Pilot
Boyd GI Bill WMBB-TV
Jackson Sun - Washington Post
all 861 news articles »New GI Bill Proposes 'Patriot Tax'
NPR - 41 minutes ago
by Brian Naylor All Things Considered, May 15, 2008 · Congressional Democrats are pushing forward with plans for a new GI Bill to give veterans returning
Get over it. It's so old by now. - Justice Antonin Scalia
"It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and one to hear." - Henry David Thoreau
This is amazing when you think of how new this bill is. To achieve the bipartisan coalition in both the House and the Senate just shows what a bill that does the right thing for our veterans can do. Kudos to both my Virginia Senators --Webb for following through with his campaign promise to get this bill going, and yes, to Sen. John Warner for recognizing the importance and getting on board with Jim Webb. Warner and Webb have worked very well together over the last 15 months, and in this case, our veterans are the benefactors.
We still need 4 Senators to sign on, so if your Senator has not co-signed, let them hear from you.
This is great news! How far from a veto-proof majority? Any chance we won't have to wait until the Democrat is inaugurated in January?
"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism" - Whoever said it, it's true.
that bush could actually veto something like this-- that would be such a negligible cost to those earning so well, many of whom would be happy to contribute to this kind of cause, offering better education benefits to veterans...
And then, to make me even sadder tonight-- McCain and the admin had this to say about it:
The Administration sided with McCain, arguing benefits that were too generous and too early in active duty service would hurt reenlistments -- and would lure service members off of military bases and onto college campuses. "My job is to get people to stay in the military, not only to join, but to stay as well," McCain said from the campaign trail in Ohio Wednesday.
That is downright creepy.
Is it getting dark in here? Why is it so hot... and what is this handbasket?
I hope this will have a chance to overcome the mighty Decider's Veto Pen.
After all, this is the Decider so in touch with his people that he gave up golf as his sacrifice for the Iraq War.
did you see the footage of him playing golf in late October when he claimed he quit in August? He couldn't even keep that story straight. Despicable.
This has been Sen. Webb's primary objective for well over a year and deserves huge kudos for his efforts.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
Paul Rieckhoff had an article at HuffPost today, but I don't like to give them the hits.
Edit: Well, that would be yesterday--I just looked at the clock.
Thanks for posting this, Kat.
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers