GI Bill Extension Will Be Major Push For Democrats

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The GI Bill could possibly go through a great extension of college aid for the US military veterans. Hopefully, this may help the Democrats in this coming election year. If it gets vetoed, the House Democrats can hope that the next elected president is a Democrat. The expansion to the GI Bill has been drawn up by Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia.

This bill has the support of both Democrats and Republicans. But, the bill has the US Senate in an internal war with each other. So far, Webb has clashed with presumed GOP presidential nominee Senator John McCain of Arizona.

At a rally at Capitol Hill on April 29, veterans from all branches of the US military that fought in Iraq and Afghanistan addressed the GI Bill. They have explained that the funding under the bill did not cover the full tuition. This expansion is called the “Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act.”

US President Bush said that he would veto the additions to the GI Bill. McCain has refused to endorse the bill. Instead, McCain wants an alternative bill drawn up by Senate Republicans to be passed. This alternative will focus more on those that want to become career soldiers. It is a means to entice soldiers to remain in the military after their terms are over.

Defying Bush’s demands for a clean war funding bill, House Democrats attached the bill by Webb.

This bill if passed will give military veterans a full-ride to any public university in-state. They would also receive a monthly allowance for housing. Those that serve in the military for three years will be eligible. Also, the ten-year limit will be extended to fifteen years.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi explained that meeting the needs of the veterans that return is also part of the cost of war. She said that the extension of the bill was a “thank you” for those that served overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz said in a study back in March that the cost of Iraq and Afghanistan will go into the trillions in the near future. Stiglitz estimates that the current cost of Iraq is $12 billion a month.

But Republicans and ‘Blue-Dog’ Democrats have opposed it.

However, the Pentagon likes the idea. But, they want the three years to be extended towards six years. This is due to the Pentagon’s fears of having a situation where it loses hard working soldiers.

This bill could possibly split the military vote in the general election race. So far, the Feminist Movement is divided between Democratic frontrunners Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York. The Evangelical Christians could be split between both parties.