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WASHINGTON Two approaches at expanding and modernizing educational benefits to military veterans through a new GI bill are clashing in both the U.S. House and Senate.
Playing key roles on opposite sides of the issue are two Tampa Bay area members of Congress.
Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow this week introduced a House bill that mirrors an approach introduced in the Senate by GOP Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Richard Burr of North Carolina.
But Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia had already proposed a bill that has the backing of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. And Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville is the lead Republican sponsor of the bill’s House version.
The Webb and Brown-Waite approach has the support from a bipartisan majority of House members and senators.
But the Pentagon is arguing that it would make military retention difficult.
And McCain, Putnam and some other Republicans in Congress say they agree that Webb’s approach goes beyond rewarding military service to actually creating incentives to leaving military service.
As an option, the Graham-McCain-Burr bill is depicted as being structured in such a way as to kick in additional rewards for longer service. The greatest benefits – including giving allowing the transfer of some educational benefits to family members – would be extended to those who remained in service at least six years.
The current GI Bill costs about $2.2 billion a year. An updated version is expected to bring those costs closer to $4 billion a year.
The issue is likely to be considered as part of the supplemental war funding bill the House plans to take up, possibly as early as Thursday. President Bush has requested $108 billion in extra war funding.
Brown-Waite believes the Webb approach takes care of the Guard and Reserve better, explained her spokesman, Charlie Keller. He also noted that the Webb approach also takes into account the cost of the highest tuition at a public college in a state in determining the amount of tuition a service member can receive there, instead of the setting a specific figure.
As for the argument that Webb’s bill creates incentives to leave the military, Brown-Waite “does not buy that or really understand it,” said Keller.
Such benefits are supposed to be enticing enough to convince people to join the military, and “if you can’t recruit them in the first place, you don’t have to worry about them leaving,” he said.
Putnam said he’s introduced the other bill in the House because it provides transferability of benefits to the service member’s family; it rewards military service without undercutting retention; and it rewards reenlistment and longer periods of service.
"These are also the goals (Defense) Secretary (Robert) Gates has outlined as the criteria by which the Department of Defense would be evaluating the various legislative proposals,” Putnam said.
Here are a few of the differences in the two bills, according to a Senate staff analysis:
Amount of benefits for active-duty regular component members:
McCain-Graham-Burr:
After 3 years of active duty, provides maximum monthly benefit of $1,500 plus $500 per year for books. After 12 years of active duty, provides maximum monthly benefit of $2,000 (staged in by 2011) plus $500 per year for books.
Webb bill:
Provides three possible payments (tuition and fees, housing, and books).The total amount will depend on a multitude of factors, including the number of days served on active duty after Sept. 11, 2001, home zip code, tuition and fees charged by the school the veteran attends, tuition and fees charged by the most expensive public college in the same state, and whether the veteran goes to school on-line or on campus.
Amount of benefits for Guard/Reserves activated after Sept. 11, 2001
McCain-Graham-Burr:
Provides maximum monthly benefit of $1,200 after two continuous years of service or three total years of service. Provides maximum monthly benefit of $1,600 (staged in by 2011) after 12 years of aggregate service.
Webb bill:
Benefits are the same as those available to active duty members. National Guard and Reserve members earn entitlement based on total cumulative active duty since Sept. 11, 2001.
Amount of benefits that will be transferable to a spouse or children
McCain-Graham-Burr:
Service members could transfer up to 18 months of benefits after 6 years of service and 36 months of benefits after 12 years of service.
Webb bill:
None
Amount of benefits that may be used to repay student loans
McCain-Graham-Burr:
Repays up to $6,000 in student loans per year for active duty service members.
Webb bill:
None
Amount of matching funds that the Department of Veterans Affairs will provide
McCain-Graham-Burr:
Matches dollar for dollar any contribution schools provide for a veteran’s education, up to $3,000
Webb bill:
Dollar-for-dollar match with school (even if it exceeds how much the veteran needs to attend school debt-free).
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673.
Playing key roles on opposite sides of the issue are two Tampa Bay area members of Congress.
Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow this week introduced a House bill that mirrors an approach introduced in the Senate by GOP Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Richard Burr of North Carolina.
But Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia had already proposed a bill that has the backing of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. And Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville is the lead Republican sponsor of the bill’s House version.
The Webb and Brown-Waite approach has the support from a bipartisan majority of House members and senators.
But the Pentagon is arguing that it would make military retention difficult.
And McCain, Putnam and some other Republicans in Congress say they agree that Webb’s approach goes beyond rewarding military service to actually creating incentives to leaving military service.
As an option, the Graham-McCain-Burr bill is depicted as being structured in such a way as to kick in additional rewards for longer service. The greatest benefits – including giving allowing the transfer of some educational benefits to family members – would be extended to those who remained in service at least six years.
The current GI Bill costs about $2.2 billion a year. An updated version is expected to bring those costs closer to $4 billion a year.
The issue is likely to be considered as part of the supplemental war funding bill the House plans to take up, possibly as early as Thursday. President Bush has requested $108 billion in extra war funding.
Brown-Waite believes the Webb approach takes care of the Guard and Reserve better, explained her spokesman, Charlie Keller. He also noted that the Webb approach also takes into account the cost of the highest tuition at a public college in a state in determining the amount of tuition a service member can receive there, instead of the setting a specific figure.
As for the argument that Webb’s bill creates incentives to leave the military, Brown-Waite “does not buy that or really understand it,” said Keller.
Such benefits are supposed to be enticing enough to convince people to join the military, and “if you can’t recruit them in the first place, you don’t have to worry about them leaving,” he said.
Putnam said he’s introduced the other bill in the House because it provides transferability of benefits to the service member’s family; it rewards military service without undercutting retention; and it rewards reenlistment and longer periods of service.
"These are also the goals (Defense) Secretary (Robert) Gates has outlined as the criteria by which the Department of Defense would be evaluating the various legislative proposals,” Putnam said.
Here are a few of the differences in the two bills, according to a Senate staff analysis:
Amount of benefits for active-duty regular component members:
McCain-Graham-Burr:
After 3 years of active duty, provides maximum monthly benefit of $1,500 plus $500 per year for books. After 12 years of active duty, provides maximum monthly benefit of $2,000 (staged in by 2011) plus $500 per year for books.
Webb bill:
Provides three possible payments (tuition and fees, housing, and books).The total amount will depend on a multitude of factors, including the number of days served on active duty after Sept. 11, 2001, home zip code, tuition and fees charged by the school the veteran attends, tuition and fees charged by the most expensive public college in the same state, and whether the veteran goes to school on-line or on campus.
Amount of benefits for Guard/Reserves activated after Sept. 11, 2001
McCain-Graham-Burr:
Provides maximum monthly benefit of $1,200 after two continuous years of service or three total years of service. Provides maximum monthly benefit of $1,600 (staged in by 2011) after 12 years of aggregate service.
Webb bill:
Benefits are the same as those available to active duty members. National Guard and Reserve members earn entitlement based on total cumulative active duty since Sept. 11, 2001.
Amount of benefits that will be transferable to a spouse or children
McCain-Graham-Burr:
Service members could transfer up to 18 months of benefits after 6 years of service and 36 months of benefits after 12 years of service.
Webb bill:
None
Amount of benefits that may be used to repay student loans
McCain-Graham-Burr:
Repays up to $6,000 in student loans per year for active duty service members.
Webb bill:
None
Amount of matching funds that the Department of Veterans Affairs will provide
McCain-Graham-Burr:
Matches dollar for dollar any contribution schools provide for a veteran’s education, up to $3,000
Webb bill:
Dollar-for-dollar match with school (even if it exceeds how much the veteran needs to attend school debt-free).
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673.