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Bob Herbert writes about Senator Webb's new GI Bill in his New York Times column:
At the top of the list of no-brainers in Washington should be Senator Jim Webb’s proposed expansion of education benefits for the men and women who have served in the armed forces since Sept. 11, 2001.
It’s awfully hard to make the case that these young people who have sacrificed so much don’t deserve a shot at a better future once their wartime service has ended.
[...]
“These veterans were able to get a first-class future,” Senator Webb told me in an interview. “But not only that. For every dollar that was spent on the World War II G.I. bill, seven dollars came back in the form of tax remunerations from those who received benefits.”
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More coverage of Senator Webb's new GI Bill legislation, as the Chicago Tribune examines the numbers involved in the bill:
Under the proposal by Webb, D-Va., and Hagel, R-Neb., benefits for
qualified veterans could potentially increase to the cost of the most
expensive in-state public school in their home state and include a
housing stipend.
The program would cost an additional $2 billion per year compared to
the current GI Bill, which backers have noted is a small sum relative
to the more than $600 billion that has already been allocated for the
war. In addition, veterans would have up to 15 years after leaving
active duty to use the entitlement, up from 10 years under the current
standard.
Despite President Bush again asking Congress on April 29 to send him
a $108 billion war spending bill free of extraneous programs,
Democratic leaders will likely include the proposal in the upcoming
supplemental war spending bill, a senior Democratic aide said.
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CBS News examines Jim Webb's new GI legislation:
In the next month, Congress is expected to take on the GI legislation as
part of a spending bill that funds the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., sponsored the legislation along with Senator
Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. It would reward veterans who've served on active
duty at any time since September 11, 2001, with more money for college.
And it would expand coverage for soldiers who've served in the National
Guard and Reservists like Evan Aanerrud. The benefits would also
normally last for a full 36 months and could be used within 15 years of
active duty discharge.
Webb, a Vietnam veteran, called on his colleagues at today's rally to back the bill.
"It's time for those of us who've been calling on them to serve
again and again, to assist them in providing the most tangible thanks
our country can offer and that is a meaningful chance for a first-class
future," Webb said.
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