Senate battles over GI Bill improvements

[unhappycamper]

Senate battles over GI Bill improvements
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 14, 2008 17:44:23 EDT

The Senate fought an unexpected skirmish over GI Bill benefits Wednesday when Republicans tried to attach a Pentagon-backed plan that includes the right to transfer benefits to family members onto a law enforcement labor practice bill.

By a 56-42 vote, the effort failed — but not before creating ill will among lawmakers and making it increasingly unlikely that wide bipartisan support will be achieved to improve the GI Bill.

One day before the House of Representatives is expected to endorse the idea of folding the 21st Century GI Bill of Rights into the 2008 wartime supplemental funding bill, Senate Republicans sought to steal some of the thunder by trying to get their alternative plan attached to HR 980, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act.

Republicans outmaneuvered Democrats, not only offering the amendment but also preventing their proposal from being changed further — so that Democrats were forced, in the end, to vote against GI Bill increases.

That vote came on a motion to set aside the Republican plan.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_gibill_battle_052608w/