The
New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century would improve benefits for our men
and women in uniform today and provide long overdue benefits for the veterans
and military retirees who have already served.
In 1944, the Congress enacted
the original GI Bill first drafted by the American Legion to honor those who
fought in World War II. The bill honored and supported our returning troops
by providing them with educational benefits, loans to buy a home and medical
assistance. And in each major military conflict since, we have honored the service
of our soldiers through a new GI bill. Now, 60 years later, our military is
engaged in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom where more than one million
troops have served. Our National Guard and Reserve have made an unprecedented
contribution in the effort providing half of the troops in Iraq. These
troops have served our nation with distinction, and it is time for a grateful
nation to honor that service.
House Democrats are introducing
the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century to honor the bravery of our troops
and the tremendous sacrifices that their families have made. The New GI Bill
will repeal unfair tax burdens on military families, provide Veterans with the
benefits they deserve like affordable health care, education and job training,
strengthen our support for our men and women in uniform and improve benefits
for our National Guard/Reservists.
No other group of Americans
has stood stronger and braver for our democracy than troops and our veterans.
We must celebrate, honor and remember these courageous and faithful men and
women through this New GI bill. Democrats stand ready to move forward with Republicans
on providing all the support our veterans and military retirees have earned.
On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation,
let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind.
Let us honor their service with a New GI Bill of Rights worthy of our grateful
nation.
Inside
the New GI Bill of Rights:
Making health
care accessible and affordable for Veterans
- Improves veterans
health care.
- Improves mental health
for returning soldiers.
- Blocks increases in prescription
drug co-payments and enrollment fees for veterans.
Providing
Veterans with the benefits they have earned and deserve
- Ends the Disabled Veterans
Tax.
- Reduces waiting times
on disability claimsand expands outreach to veterans.
Honoring
the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country
- Ends the Military Families
Tax.
- Increases survivor benefits
for families with minor children.
Strengthening
our support for our men and women in uniform
- Provides $1,000 Bonus
for those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Ensures an adequate number
of troops and adequate equipment for our troops.
- Improves military pay
for senior enlisted personnel and warrant officers.
Honoring
our debt to our servicemen and women
- Modernizes and enhances
the GI Bill Education and Job Training Programs.
- Provides additional funds
to assist homeless veterans with employment.
- Protects bonuses and
special pay for the permanently injured, and continues combat pay or additional
compensation
- for those recovering
from combat injuries.
Improving
benefits for our National Guard/Reservists
- Expands military health
care (TRICARE) for National Guard/Reservists.
- Protects the income of
activated National Guard/Reservists.
- Ensures recruitment incentives
and bonuses for National Guard/Reservists and improve educational benefits.
Making health care accessible and affordable for our Veterans
Currently, more than 50,000 veterans are waiting for more than six months for
veterans health care, and that problem will only get worse with the growing
numbers of returning soldiers. Regrettably, the Presidents budget provides
only $106 million more than last year (excluding new fees), and provides $18
billion below the amount needed to maintain services at current levels over
the next five year. Because of this cut, the number of medical personnel, mostly
nurses, serving our veterans would drop by 3,000, and there would be a severe
cut in long-term care for our veterans. Democrats would provide an additional
$3.2 billion to meet the demand for current services and medical inflation this
year, and will work to ensure that the VA is adequately funded over the next
10 years to ease the waiting periods.
Providing
the benefits our veterans have earned and deserve
Our soldiers fight for all Americans and they should be supported by all Americans
when they come home. That is why the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century
would fully repeal the Disabled Veterans Tax, which forces disabled military
retirees to give up one dollar of their pension for every dollar of disability
pay they receive. This is critical to the nearly 400,000 military retirees who
were left behind by the Republican compromise and continue to pay it. It would
also include provisions to improve the timeliness and accuracy of veterans
benefit claims; veterans with a service-connected disability claims have a right
to expect timely resolution of their appeals as their quality of life depends
on it.
Honoring
the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country
It is not enough to support the troops; we must also support their families.
The New GI bill would end the Military Familys Tax which penalizes survivors,
mostly widows of those killed as a result of combat. Under current law, widows
lose their survivor benefits if they receive the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
benefits because their spouse died of a service-connected injury. Further, it
increases the benefit for surviving children of those who die in service to
our country.
Strengthening
Support for Men and Women in Uniform
The American people are fully backing our soldiers, and yet our troops do not
have the needed manpower or equipment. So the new GI Bill includes provisions
to ensure an adequate number of troops and to make sure they have adequate equipment,
so that our troops are well protected and not stretched too thin. More than
340,000 members of the National Guard and Reserves have been called up over
the last two and one-half years, and nearly 45,000 soldiers have seen their
deployments extended, even as some were scheduled to leave the Army. The package
would also provide a $1,000 bonus to the troops who have served in imminent
danger in Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Afghanistan as a thanks for a job well
done, along with increased pay for senior enlisted personnel.
Honoring
Our Debt to Our Servicemen and Women
We must provide first-rate education benefits to reward those who have served
and to recruit our most able young men and women to serve our nation in the
Armed Forces. The package would modernize and enhance the GI Bill Education
and Job Training Programs and improve education benefits for Guard/Reserve.
Specifically, it would provide the full cost of tuition and fees, and a living
allowance for 36 months of schooling for those who enlist for four years of
active duty military service. Right now, the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) pays
less than two-thirds of the average cost of attending a 4-year public college.
It would also increase the basic benefit for those currently in the MGIB or
who serve less than four years to $1,300 per month, and eliminate the current
reduction in their basic pay to get the educational benefits. Further, it would
assist homeless veterans with employment, and protect bonuses and special pay
for those who are permanently and severely injured or wounded or killed in service,
and continue combat pay and other additional compensation during recovery from
combat injuries.
Improving
benefits for our National Guard/Reservists
The National Guard and Reserve have made unprecedented contributions
making up about 50 percent of the troops in Iraq, and sometimes having served
three tours of duty. The New GI Bill of Rights honors that contribution with
provisions that protect their income to help the more than 40 percent of those
called up who have suffered a pay cut to serve our country. It also expands
military health care to provide full access to TRICARE -- the military health
program to all members of the Guard and Reserve and their families for
a low fee. Finally, the package improves recruitment and retention incentives
and bonuses for the Reserve, so they are more equitable relative to those for
Active duty components. This is not only more fair, but is also needed given
the recruiting and retention problems facing the Reserve and National Guard.