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Wednesday, April 30,2008
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Think You Know John McCain?
He won’t invest in war veterans’ education
Republican presidential candidate
John McCain makes much of his loyalty to and support for this nation’s
armed forces, as well as the suffering he endured as a prisoner of war
in Vietnam. So why won’t he support a new and improved version of the
G.I. Bill for those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan?
The original G.I. Bill, introduced after World War II, did much more
than allow war veterans to go to college. It helped lead post-war America into prosperity and dominate the globe during the second half of the 20th century.
So a 21st-century version of the G.I. Bill would seem to be well earned by those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention it being a smart investment in America’s
future during tough economic times. That’s why Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.)
and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) introduced the Post-9/11 Veterans
Educational Assistance Act of 2007. The bill would help members of the
military who were on active duty for at least two years— including
members of the Reserve and the National Guard, who are not eligible for
some benefits, even though they are carrying a heavy burden in the
current wars.
Eligible veterans would earn up to 36 months of
tuition (full tuition, if you attend a state college), room and board,
fees and a $1,000 monthly stipend. As of this writing, the bill has 56
cosponsors in the U.S. Senate, including Wisconsin’s
Herb Kohl, Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack
Obama (D-Ill.) and Republicans Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), James Inhofe
(R-Okla.) and John Warner (R-Va.). But McCain isn’t supporting full
educational benefits for all veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Instead,
McCain introduced a watered-down version of the bill that provides a
flat education benefit to all veterans, which would penalize veterans
who want to attend a state college with higher tuition. Even worse, it
completely cut out members of the National Guard and Reserve—about
160,000 veterans who have done more than one tour of duty, by one
estimate.
So we’ve got to ask McCain, the war hero and
supposed straight talker: Why won’t you support education for veterans
of a war you authorized and have funded without question—and even hope
to extend for another century? Makes us wonder if veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their families and any fair-minded voter will support McCain in November.
What’s your take? Write: editor@shepex.com or comment on this story online at www.expressmilwaukee.com.
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