April 18, 2008
Congress to Enhance GI Bill; Fight Now Is Over, However?

Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act (S 22)
Democrat Jim Webb (Va.) who introduced the bill has major support from both parties to make this the best for
our Military & Veterans, but there are those who feel the Vets should not get so much.
As well, others feel that S-22 wont keep soldiers available to send to War.
 

Take Action: Tell your Congressperson and Senator to pass HR 5740 & S-22 Help Our Veterans Now.

The Bush administration has endorsed a House bill that would improve the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) education
benefits in several ways including with a 31 percent jump in monthly benefits and
a new $500-a-month stipend to help cover college living expenses.

The Bush administration's aim is not only to improve veterans' benefits in wartime but to Derail a far more costly GI Bill
reform package that Democrat Jim Webb (Va.), in just his second year as a senator,
is shepherding toward likely enactment with tenacity and timely compromises.
Bush administration says lets give them a little, not to much.
Returning Veterans must once again fight- this time for their VA benefits owed them.

No matter who wins this showdown, current and future GI Bill users are almost assured
that their benefits will be more valuable by 2009, but no where near as Good if S-22 doesnt pass.

Webb's bill, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act (S 22), would be available to any active or reserve
member who served at least three months on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. Maximum benefits would cover
tuition costs up to an amount equal to tuition payments at a state's most expensive public university. Payments to
fulltime students would jump to about $1900 a month, up from $1100 under the MGIB.

Take Action: Tell your Congressperson and Senator to pass HR 5740 & S-22.
Webb's bill also would pay a monthly stipend to cover living expenses.  That payment would be set locally based on military
housing allowances payable in the college area to a married enlisted member in grade E-5.

To win the influential support of Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), Webb added a provision to entice private colleges to
accept more veterans. The government will pay half of any tuition costs in excess of the new GI Bill ceiling if colleges
agree to absorb the other half. So a veteran, in effect, could attend most any college that accepted him, or her, on scholastic merit.

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, became a new and vital co-sponsor
last week after Webb accepted his changes. The housing stipend would not be paid to veterans who are part-time students.
Also the new GI Bill's effective date would be Aug. 1, 2009, rather than the date of the bill's enactment, to allow the
\Department of Veterans Affairs time to prepare. VA also would get an extra $95 million to hire more people and to
develop new information technology for administering this new GI Bill for a new generation students.

Webb also agreed with Akaka that in August 2008, MGIB benefits should be raised 20 percent so that veterans who
don't qualify for the new GI Bill, and those who have to wait another year for the new program,
can still receive some immediate help with education costs.

Rep. Harry E. Mitchell (D-Ariz.) introduced a companion bill, HR 5740, on April 9.
Before a week had passed, it had attracted 196 co-sponsors.

Webb, an aide said, hopes these changes have lowered the cost of his GI Bill below $3 billion a year.  Regardless,
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will allow Webb to clear conventional funding hurdles over entitlement
spending by attaching his bill an amendment to the wartime supplemental budget to be taken up by the Senate at the end of April.

Webb's press aide, Kimberly Hunter, said Webb will argue that, with the Iraq war costs running at up to $15 billion
a month, it's only appropriate to spend "a few billion dollars a year" from the same pot to give
returning veterans better education benefits for transitioning to civilian life.

Defense officials fear Webb's GI Bill not only would be costly in dollars but it would threaten the viability of an
all-volunteer force by enticing thousands of members to leave service after a single tour to use
education benefits, particularly if the option is another wartime tour.

Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), soon to be the Republican Party's nominee for president, told reporters on his campaign plan
that he is working with others to find an alternative to S. 22 that won't harm service retention rates.

That alternative might have been introduced in the House April 2 by Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.).
She chairs the House veterans' affairs subcommittee on economic opportunity and is a fiscal conservative.  Sandlin's bill, the Veterans Education Improvement Act of 2008 (HR 5684), drew mixed reviews from veterans' service associations when called to testify this week on her education
bill and a of other veterans' initiatives. VSO representatives more than hinted that they favor Webb's bill.

But Curtis L. Gilroy, director of recruiting policy for DoD, praised Sandlin's bill as if the department itself
had helped to write it. Gilroy said DoD supported its call to raise MGIB payments from $1100 a month to $1450
for fulltime students.  Payments then would be enough so that MGIB covers the "average cost" of attending a public four-year college, Gilroy said.

If payments were made any larger, he said, it could harm retention.

Sandlin's call for a $500-a-month stipend is "a little more generous than we would like,"
Gilroy said, but "we do support some level of increase."

Gilroy endorsed provisions in Sandlin's bill that would: allow veterans to use MGIB benefits to pay off student loans;
extend the 10-year window for using benefits after separation to 15 years; exclude MGIB benefits from counting as
"income" when applying for other student aid; allow recruits to make their $1200 MGIB contributions over 24 months rather than 12.

Though Sandlin's bill is "less generous" than S. 22, Gilroy said, it "addresses all of the significant issues as we see them.
"  It is simpler than Webb's bill, doesn't add bureaucracy and doesn't strain retention, he said.

The only missing initiative, which the department considers an MGIB reform priority, Gilroy said, is language to
allow current members to transfer unused education benefits routinely to spouses or children.
The Department is expected to send a proposed plan to Congress later this year.
 
 
 

April 2008  Veterans’ Legislative Update
1. New GI Bill Needs Our Help: Now is the time to push for a GI Bill for the 21st Century, one that will cover all education
costs, to include tuition, fees, books and a subsistence stipend. Two bills introduced last year would provide these benefits:
S. 22 and HR 2702, "The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007." Yet only half the Senate and a quarter
of the House have signed on as co-sponsors. Please call or visit your Congressional offices at home or on Capitol Hill
and urge your legislators to sponsor this priority goal.
Both bills would:
• Increase education benefits for members of the military serving on active duty since September 11, 2001.
Qualifying veterans must have served at least two years on active duty.
Members of the Reserve and National Guard need a total of two years of active duty service.
• Provide a powerful transition assistance program by allowing veterans to readjust to civilian life and improve their ability
to care for themselves and their families. The subsistence stipend will also help ease a tough decision new
veterans with families have to make: school or food and rent.
• Create additional tax revenue generated by better-educated veterans, which will likely pay for the program,as it did with the WWII GI Bill.
• Increase military recruitment efforts, broadening the socio-economic makeup of the military, and strengthening our national security.
A new GI Bill for the 21st century is the right thing to do for those who are now serving in harm's way.
To view our Alert and contact your elected officials, go to:
 http://capwiz.com/vfw/issues/alert/?alertid=11232976

2. House VA Committee Hearings:
On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on PTSD treatment and research options. PTSD has been diagnosed
in more than 60,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, yet a recent Institute of Medicine report showed that there are not
enough studies on PTSD identification and treatment options. VFW submitted written testimony that called for more research
into PTSD causes, identification and treatment. VA must ensure that current and previous generations of veterans have full access
to a wide range of treatments. VFW also testified for improved services and outreach to women veterans and their families,
who are a critical support base for recovery.
On Wednesday, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations heard testimony from veterans and VA about Traumatic
Brain Injury and vision issues facing wounded service members. TBI is considered one of the signature injuries of the current
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Witnesses said research being conducted by physicians; psychologists and blind rehabilitation
specialists at VA have found that TBI causes vision issues in many veterans with 20/20 vision who show no signs of injury to the eye.
Companies working with VA to provide innovative treatment for TBI-related vision deficits, and physicians from DOD and VA
were also on hand to talk about what they are doing to identify and help patients suffering with this type of injury.
For more on the hearings or to view the live webcast, visit the House VA website at: http://veterans.house.gov/

3. Women Veterans' Bill: Legislation to improve care, services and outreach to women veterans was introduced at a
press conference Wednesday held by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR),
and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). VFW strongly supports the bill, as it will address the unique needs of female veterans by authorizing
programs to improve care for Military Sexual Trauma, expand women veteran coordinator positions at VA, and increase research
on barriers to care. Women currently make up 14% of the total force, and it is estimated that the number
of female veterans entering the VA system will double in the next five years.

4. VA Home Loan Fix: The Economic Stimulus Package signed by the President last month also increased loan limits for
federal home loan programs, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA. VA Home Loans, however, were not included.
Congress has introduced legislation to fix the problem. H.R. 5561 and S. 2768 would extend the home loan guarantee to 125%
of metropolitan medium home prices (about $730,000 in the highest cost areas) through December 31, 2011. The fix would enable
veterans to utilize their VA benefit to purchase homes of higher value while the housing market remains unpredictable. For more
information on the legislation, type the bill number in the search box at: http://thomas.loc.gov/

5. VA Names Acting Benefits Chief: The VA announced this week that Patrick W. Dunne, a retired Navy rear admiral and a
senior official within VA, would be named acting Under Secretary of Benefits. He replaces retired Vice Adm. Daniel L. Cooper,
who resigned effective April 1. Admiral Dunne will be responsible for a $52 billion budget that provides compensation and
pensions to nearly 4 million veterans and survivors, along with administering the Montgomery GI Bill educational
program, VA home loan guaranties, among other programs.

6. Soldier Missing in Iraq Identified: The Department of Defense announced the change in status of a soldier supporting
Operation Iraqi Freedom from missing-captured to deceased. The armed forces medical examiner confirmed March 29
that human remains recovered in Iraq were those of Staff Sgt. Keith M. Maupin, 24, of Batavia, OH. Maupin had been
listed as missing-captured since April 16, 2004. His convoy came under attack by rocket-propelled grenades and small
arms fire on April 9, 2004. He was assigned to the 724th Transportation Company, Bartonville, IL. Maupin's loss incident
remains under investigation, as well as those associated with the three other American soldiers currently listed as missing-captured.
 
 

110th Congress Legislation

 Senate Vets Committee Members
House Vets Committee Members

Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii).
SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Aloha! As the Chairman on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am determined to honor this Nation's Veterans
by ensuring they receive the care and benefits they have earned through selfless service.
I take my leadership role seriously and am constantly looking for new ways to assist veterans.

CONGRESSMAN BOB FILNER
CHAIRMAN
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

House of Representatives Passes
Belated Thank You to the
Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007

Washington, D.C. – Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Bob Filner (D-CA) announced that the House
of Representatives passed H.R. 23, The Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007.
The bill would establish a Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide monthly payments in the amount of $1,000
to qualifying members of the United States Merchant Marine who served during World War II. H.R. 23 includes
qualifying members of the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service.

“The House of Representatives took the opportunity to correct a grave injustice heaped upon the gallant men of the Merchant
Marine of World War II,” stated Chairman Filner. “We call our veterans ‘heroes’ for a reason and the heroes from past wars
deserve all the care and dignity that this nation can bestow. We will work boldly and tirelessly to move this legislation forward.”

H.R. 23 rectifies the mistreatment that the Mariners suffered by being denied GI Bill benefits at the end of WWII and compensates
them, over sixty years later, for their heroic deeds. The Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund would be available
only to all qualifying mariners who apply by October 1, 2008.

The Merchant Mariners of World War II were granted veteran status in 1988 after fighting for over forty years to attain it.
Their casualty rate was one in twenty six, the highest of any of the other armed branches of service. It is indisputable that the
United States would not have been able to begin, sustain of end WWII without their service.

“I am pleased that the House of Representatives passed The Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007,”
concluded Chairman Filner. “The heroic and brave service of these veterans has gone unheralded by this country for too long.
We owe these heroes a thank you and today, we are one step closer to righting this wrong – ONCE AND FOR ALL.
These veterans kept their promises to serve our country and it is not too late to keep our promises to those that have fought for our country.”
 
 
 

CALL TO ACTION

H.Res. 111 –
To establish, in the House of Representatives a Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs.
by Congressman Peter King (R-NY), H.Res 111 calls for a select committee to "conduct a full investigation of all unresolved matters relating
to any United States personnel unaccounted for from the Vietnam era, the Korean conflict, World War II, Cold War Missions, or Gulf War, including MIA's and POW's."

The Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs concluded in 1993 that; "There is evidence, moreover, that indicates the
possibility of survival, at least for a small number, after Operation Homecoming...."

Isn't it time we find out what happened to that "small number" and address the "unresolved matters" relating to our POW/MIAs

Since the last congressional hearings were held in 1996, much new information has surfaced regarding the mis-handling and
suppression of POW/MIA information. A former analyst with the Defense POW/MIA Office, provided this information along with many
other disturbing details requiring Congressional attention. Specifically, he detailed a report referred to, in house, as the "185 Report,"
This report discussed the possibility that as many as 185 American POWs were alive as late as 1976. During the same time frame the
Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC)concluded their own study. They found the possibility
existed that as many as 57 American servicemen might be alive.

In March 2006, memos written by a former Defense Intelligence analyst while serving as an investigator with the Senate Select
Committee on POW/MIA Affairs were discovered. These memos detailed the Vietnamese admission that some 19 servicemen listed as
died while missing were in fact captured. These servicemen survived in captivity for varying lengths of time, one by Vietnamese admission
survived three years. The committee never addressed this matter. In an interesting side note, 10 of the nineteen servicemen Vietnamese
official acknowledged "survived into captivity" are among the 57 our own (JCRC)concluded might still be alive.

In February of 2005, the Joint Commission Support Directorate, the investigative arm of the U.S./Russian Joint POW/MIA Commission
concluded; "Americans, including American servicemen, were imprisoned in the Soviet Union."
This is but the tip of the iceberg, requiring congressional attention.

It is time to address the volumes of new information available on POW/MIA matters from World War II, Korea, Cold War, Vietnam and the Gulf.

Co-Sponsors Are Needed For H.Res 111 NOW

We ask you all to contact your congressional representatives and request that they co-sponsor H.Res 111.
We've posted a list of all 435 congressional representatives on our web site, along their phone and fax numbers.
There is a sample letter linkl below.
Use it, as is, alter it to make it more personal, or write your own letter.

It's time for Congress to take another look at the POW/MIA issue.
Make sure you contact your congressional representative, asking them to co-sponsor H.Res 111.

Contact List for Congressional Representatives-http://www.nationalalliance.org/legis/110congress.htm
Sample Letter You Can Use-http://www.nationalalliance.org/legis/sample.htm

January 17, 2007

Mr. Jeff Doc Dentice
S108W19843 Red Oak Ct
Muskego, WI  53150-8442

Dear Mr. Dentice,
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Military Construction
and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2007.  I appreciate
hearing from you on this important issue.
As you know, H.R. 5385, the Military Construction and Veterans
Affairs Appropriations Act of 2007, was introduced by Rep. James
Walsh (R-NY) on May 15, 2006.  This legislation funds services in
the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs (VA), as well as
funding for military construction.  The House of Representatives
passed this bill on May 19, 2006.  The Senate passed an amended
version of this bill on November 14, 2006 by voice vote.
However, no final version of  H.R. 5385 was passed prior to the
end of the 109th Congress (2005-2006).

Instead, fiscal year 2006 military construction and VA
appropriations levels were extended through February 15, 2007,
under a continuing resolution (H.J. Res. 102) that was signed into
law on December 9, 2006.  I will keep your thoughts in mind when
military and VA appropriations bills come before the Senate in the
110th Congress (2007-2008).

Again thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me
again in the future about this or any other issue of importance to
you.
 

Sincerely,

Russell D. Feingold
United States Senator

Doc's  Email

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