STATEMENT ON G.I. BILL, A PART OF THE SENATE SUPPLEMENTAL SPENDING BILL
By JAMES MOWRER, IOWA DIRECTOR, VOTEVETS.ORG

With a pedigree and personal history like his, I continue to be shocked by Senator John McCain’s neglect of our returning veterans. Last week, he chose to campaign for president instead of voting on Senator Webb’s vital bipartisan G.I. Bill. He has stated that, like President Bush, he does not support the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, which will sensibly expand educational benefits for veterans, including activated National Guard and reservists to meet the growing costs of a higher education.

Perhaps Sen. McCain has forgotten that for every dollar invested in veterans by the original G.I. Bill following World War II, seven dollars were pumped back into the economy by higher educated and more productive veterans. During this time of economic crisis, we need this updated G.I. Bill to modernize outdated benefits designed for peacetime. It is a cost of war that has proven high returns. And despite Sen. McCain’s stated concerns about funding, he seems to have no problem repeatedly authorizing funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. At an estimated $4 billion, one week of war funding would pay for this program over the course of a whole year.

 Sen. John McCain squandered an opportunity to publicly support veterans and active military in a substantive way that has the undeniable potential to spark growth in our failing economy. Thankfully, despite Sen. McCain’s lack of leadership on an issue on which he is expected to lead, senators in both parties thought better today and voted for veterans.