There are multiple proposals in front of Congress this year to reform the GI Bill.  Many have merit, and I am encouraged that we are looking seriously at what we can do to modify the current GI Bill.  The GI Bill was originally authorized in 1944 to assist returning veterans of World War II with educational and home ownership benefits.  The bill has been updated throughout the years, and the last comprehensive overhaul of the bill benefiting active duty service members and veterans was in 1984 (although the actual benefits and dollar amounts have been subsequently updated).  In 2004, a new component of the GI Bill was added – the Reserve Educational Assistance Program – which provides benefits specifically to reserve troops, which helped to recognize the significant contributions of reservists during the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The proposals we are considering now would expand the educational benefits veterans would be entitled to, making it more affordable to pay for the increasing cost of many colleges.  Additionally, many of the proposals would extend the time period that veterans could use their educational benefits, and other proposals would allow the educational benefits to be “portable” – meaning that dependents could be eligible to use any unused educational benefits that a service member wasn’t going to use or did not need.  One bipartisan proposal that I support (and cosponsor) is the Veterans Education Improvement Act of 2008, H.R. 5684, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD).  The bill was considered by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which approved the bill at the end of April.  Now, the bill needs to be considered by the House Education and Labor Committee, which has joint jurisdiction over the bill.  This proposal is a good beginning, and I’m hopeful that the House Education and Labor Committee will make some good additions to the bill and then send it to the House floor so we can debate the proposal.