Veterans’ Group Presses for Better GI Bill

The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans’ service organization, is urging lawmakers to approve measures now pending before Congress that would significantly enhance education benefits under the GI Bill. In a May 9 statement, Legion National Commander Marty Conatser said that the estimated cost of S-22, now under consideration by the Senate, pegged at $51.8 billion over 10 years, is " a drop in the bucket compared to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the sacrifices made by America’s service members and their families." The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., would expand eligibility to include all service members – including Guard and Reserve members – who have served a minimum of 36 months since the war on terror began on Sept. 11, 2001. It would also grant beneficiaries 15 years to use the benefit, instead of the present 10, and help offset tuition costs at higher-priced state institutions of higher education.