Really Pissed Off!

Once again, Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia has stepped up to the plate to improve conditions for our fighting men and women in the Armed Services. This is not the first time he’s done so, as RPO supported The Webb-Hagel Amendment this past September, which would have allowed equal time at home between deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. It went down to defeat, yet it is now being implemented by the Armed Forces as we speak! This present Bill would, in short, return the educational benefits of the GI Bill, which was offered to “The Greatest Generation” of Veterans who fought in WWII to our Armed Forces fighting in Post 9/11, whether it is in Afghanistan or Iraq. Sounds like a good idea?......not to President Bush, as he has threatened to veto it as too costly, as well as an incentive for recruits to leave military service after one hitch!

The “Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act” (S.22) would increase educational benefits to the military who have seen active service since September 11, 2001. This would also include the National Guard. It would be proportional to the amount of time spent in service, up to 36 months. This equals a four year academic education. The benefits would cover up to the most expensive state university as well as coverage for housing and other costs incurred in receiving a four year degree. The Bill would allow the government to match, dollar for dollar, additional cost of attending those schools whose tuition exceeds the amount allotted. Veterans would have up to fifteen years to claim their benefits, after leaving active duty. Most importantly, all of this would be available to the National Guard. Click here to read the entire Bill. At the moment, Veterans are covered by the Montgomery GI Bill, which was designed for peacetime. For the past 6 years, however, we’ve been a State of War, although the American Public has yet to feel the pinch….up to now! That’s it in a nutshell, as I have paraphrased from the fact sheet. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? So why has President Bush threatened to Veto it?

The original GI Bill Of Rights was signed into law by President Roosevelt on June 22, 1944, under which millions of servicemen received educational, as well as helping them purchase homes for their families. During the Korean War, The Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1952 extended those benefits to our servicemen up to 1960. Not only did these acts provide aid and compensation to our returning servicemen and women, but it helped establish the Middle Class, which most of us have taken for granted. Prior to WWII, the United States was in The Depression, with millions out of work and what Middle Class had been created in the 1920s boom, no longer existed. This newly created Middle Class is what made America the greatest country in history! We failed our veterans after the Viet Nam War! We pretended that it never happened, and when confronted with the consequences of our retuning servicemen and women, we looked the other way. We have yet to resolve the Viet Nam War issue, but that’s for another article later! So why does President Bush threaten to Veto this Bill? The Administration’s position is that the bill is too generous, as well as encouraging our veterans to leave military service and seek a college education. The Cost! Look at the continuing cost of the War in Iraq. We have troops returning on their third or fourth tour of duty! To add insult to injury, in 2002, the Army added the “Stop Loss” Policy which involuntarily extends their hitch up to one year, when their tour of duty is completed and they are ready to leave. Is this any way to run an Army? It certainly will not help in future recruitment, but the Bush Administration continues on with this dangerous strategy. If we are to continue, at least we can reward our servicemen and women who place their lives in danger every day, when and if they leave our Armed Services for civilian life!

So…..how do the candidates stand on this issue? Senator and Republican Candidate John McCain has allied himself with the Bush Administration on this one. First remaining silent, McCain and now seeking a compromise with Senator Webb is his way of diverting the embarrassment for not supporting the troops. Leading Democratic candidate Senator Barack Obama fully supports the Webb Bill and takes issue with fellow Senator McCain on his stand as does Seantor Hillary Clinton, who was among the first of the candidates to make this an issue. The Bill has bipartisan support with Republicans, such as Senator Chuck Hagel and Senator John Warner as two of its co-sponsors. The House of Representatives has already passed their Bill on May 15, 2008 by an overwhelming margin of 256 Yeas to 166 Nays. Over the past 6 years, we have failed to support our troops by failing to provide them with the best equipment for fight the war, by having them return on two, three or even four separate tours of duty and by locking them in with the “Stop Loss Policy,” which has extended their commitment by nearly a year. We have seen the Bush Administration propose cuts to The VA, as well as the scandal at Walter Reed Hospital. Now, when our exhausted servicemen and women are due to return home, this Administration wants to deny them the chance to receive an education, which we have, in the past, provided our soldiers in the time of war! This is intolerable! If you want to hear it directly from Sen. Jim Webb on Meet the Press, which aired on May 18th, take a couple of minutes and watch the video clip provided below.