Senators should support legislation for veterans

Editor, The Citizen,

The original G.I. Bill is credited for creating the middle class after the Second World War. The bill paid not only the educational costs for all veterans to go to college, but included a stipend for the veteran's cost of living expenses. The current Montgomery G.I. Bill that veterans are eligible for is meant for a peacetime military, not for a military at war. This relic requires that eligible soldiers pay $100 a month for a year to receive up to $800 a month toward an education. This payment, known as the 'combat tax', does not even go toward the Veterans Affairs. Worse, $800 a month is not enough money for a veteran to go to even a state school due with rising inflation and education costs.

Senator Webb (D-VA) and Senator Hagel (R-NE) have cosponsored the bipartisan 'Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act.' This revised G.I. Bill is similar to the original. It eliminates the 'combat tax', pays the full amount of the education, and offers a cost of living stipend to eligible veterans. All veterans, National Guard and Army Reserves included, that served on active duty after 9/11 would be eligible for benefits proportional to the amount of time they served. For example, if a National Guard soldier served a total of three years on active duty for two tours in Iraq he or she would be eligible for three years of benefits.

The current G.I. Bill is now in committee. I have met with Governor Shaheen and she said she would support the bill as a Senator. I met with the legislative assistant of Senator Sununu who said the Senator is uncommitted at this point. I am calling for both Senator Sununu and Senator Greg, neither of whom have served in the military, to support the 'Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act.

Joshua David Denton - VoteVets.org
Portsmouth