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U.S. Senate Passes New GI Bill

By Media General News Service

Measure granting better benefits to veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now goes to President Bush for approval U.S. Senate Passes New GI Bill

Published: Fri, June 27, 2008 - 11:00 am

WASHINGTON—The Senate Thursday night voted to create new educational benefits for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a $162 billion emergency war funding bill.

The vote capped an 18-month fight for a new GI bill that Sen. Jim Webb introduced his first day in office in 2007.

But the Virginia Democrat and Vietnam War veteran tried to temper his excitement at a Thursday morning news conference.

“When I’m standing in the Rose Garden, when the president actually signs this -- when he finishes signing it -- I will get excited,” said Webb, standing with Senate colleagues and veterans groups.

The Bush administration endorsed the bill (HR 2642) last week after being assured service members could transfer their education benefits to their spouses or children. The Senate voted 92-6 to pass the bill Thursday.

The new GI bill would give veterans vouchers to cover their tuition at any public or private university in the country. The benefit would max out at an amount equal to in-state tuition at a public university in the same state.

The cost of the plan is estimated at $62.8 billion over 11 years.

To attract support from Sen. John Warner, R-Va., earlier this year, Webb agreed to insert a provision that would add federal funding to match contributions private schools make toward veterans’ tuition costs.

The plan would make educational benefits for activated reservists equal to benefits for full-time active-duty service members.

“I leave here with a sense of accomplishment,” said Warner, who went to college on the GI Bill after serving in World War II and is retiring from the Senate this year.

This will “repay to the American military -- today’s military -- all the things that were given to me,” he said.

Veterans applauded Webb’s bipartisan work on the bill on behalf of those still serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“They’re now given hope,” said Patrick Campbell of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “When they sit in their Humvees and talk about what life is going to be like back home, they see a different picture. Their dreams are going to be bigger. Their opportunities are going to be bigger.”