Administration Fights Dem Plan to Boost School Aid for Vets

[Hissyspit]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/08/administration-.html

Administration Fights Dem Plan to Boost School Aid for Vets

Alexandra Bahou and Anna Schecter Report:

The Bush administration opposes a Democratic effort to restore full educational benefits for returning veterans, according to an official's comments last week. Senate Democrats, led by Virginia's Jim Webb, want the government to pay every penny of veterans' educational costs, from tuition at a public university to books, housing and a monthly stipend.

Such a benefit was a major feature of the historic 1944 G.I. Bill, which put more than eight million U.S. soldiers through college and is now credited by historians as fueling the expansion of America's middle class in the post-war era.

But in recent years the benefit has dwindled; under the current law, passed in 1985, veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan can expect Uncle Sam to cover only 75 percent of their tuition costs. That's not enough, say Democrats and veterans' advocates.

More than 450,000 used the benefit last year, at a cost to taxpayers of $2 billion, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which administers the program. The Democratic proposal would cost an additional $5.4 billion a year, the VA estimates -- and that's too much, it says.

[rodeodance]

1. Bushco's MO till he leaves is to hit the Veto Button.

[Buns_of_Fire]

2. The only way to get any REAL benefits for the vets

will be to slip something like this into the "2007 Act to Anoint George Bush As God Almighty and Protector of the American Empire Forevermore" -- no chance the little clown would vero something like that.

And yet... and yet... the various and sundry congresscritters are STILL askeered of chucklenuts accusing them of "not supporting the troops." Go figure. :shrug: