Florida Congresswoman Defends GI Bill Proposal

Mon, May 12, 2008 - 11:54 AM

WASHINGTON – GOP Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville went on the offensive this morning with an op-ed articled to promote her bill to give returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans greater access to college aide.

Brown-Waite’s legislation is a companion to the the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, sponsored in the Senate by Virginia Democrat James Webb, a Marine and former Reagan administration Navy secretary.

Her column entitled “Helping the next Greatest Generation,” and was written with Arizona Democrat Harry Mitchell. Here’s how it appears in today’s editions of The Washington Times;
http://washingtontimes.com/article/20080512/EDITORIAL/110368091/1013

At issue is a bill that would pay the tuition costs of the most expensive state school for returning vets, as well as a housing and books stipend. Current education benefits are much less — about $1,100 a month.

But the Pentagon argues the improved benefits would make military retention difficult, as service members will seize on the opportunities to go to the public universities of their choice.

And presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, the sponsor of a competing Senate GI bill, agrees, as does GOP Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow, sponsor of McCain’s competing bill in the House. They depict their competing bill as being structures to kick in additional rewards for longer service.

And the Webb-Brown-Waite bill last week hit another snag. A group of fiscally conservative Democrats, say the proposal that would cost too much and should be funded under Democrats pay-as-you-go rules.

-- Billy House