The Battle For A GI Bill Begins.

[SirNitram]

Link

A small group of fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats is threatening to block the emergency war spending bill over a program for veterans’ benefits not offset with tax hikes or spending cuts.

Because of that problem, and the efforts by House Republicans to stall floor action with procedural motions, the vote on the carefully crafted supplemental measure could be delayed until Friday or next week.

“Some of us oppose creating a new entitlement program in an emergency spending bill, whether it’s butchers, bakers or candlestick-makers,” said Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.), a founding member of the Blue Dog Coalition who serves on the House leadership team as a deputy whip.

The so-called GI Bill of Rights, authored by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), would give veterans money for college and cost $720 million in its first two years. But critics say that could grow to billions in future years.

House Democratic leaders attached it to the supplemental spending bill figuring Bush wouldn’t dare veto veterans’ benefits. If he did, Republicans would pay a steep political cost.

But that calculation is now causing heartburn for Blue Dogs, the same members who have generally supported war funding. The fiscally conservative coalition is split. Some members are willing to block the bill because “pay-as-you-go” budgetary rules — offsetting new spending with spending cuts or increased taxes — have been ignored one too many times. Others, like Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.), don’t want to oppose benefits for veterans.

“It’s a cost of the war,” Barrow said.

Because of that division, there is no formal Blue Dog position on the bill. But blocking the bill wouldn’t require all 47 Blue Dogs; it takes only 15.

The supplemental was cut into three sections to allow members to vote against withdrawal from Iraq, against war funding or against domestic spending without blocking the entire bill. Each section is expected to get a majority. The withdrawal section is expected to be stripped out in the Senate. The other two sections will be merged and sent back to the House for final passage.

Blue Dogs could upset that balance by voting against the rule, the procedural device needed to bring the supplemental package to the floor.

Republicans usually vote uniformly against Democratic procedural motions. Under those circumstances, and with the relatively thin Democratic majority, it takes only 15 Democratic defections to bring down the rule.

Asked if there were more than 15 members willing to oppose the rule because of the GI Bill of Rights, Tanner said, “That’s not an unreasonable assumption.”

Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), another Blue Dog leader, also indicated there is likely enough Blue Dog opposition to block the bill. Asked if there are 15 Blue Dog votes against the rule, he said, “There’s 47 of us, what do you think?”

Boyd and other Blue Dogs said coalition members are meeting with leaders to air their grievances.

“Hopefully, it will be worked out,” said Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), a Blue Dog member. “There are conversations going on right now.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the Blue Dogs’ concerns are “legitimate,” but added there’s good reason to put the education program in the emergency spending bill.

“Meeting the needs of our veterans is a cost of war,” Pelosi said. “On this bill, there’s $200 billion for the war that’s not paid for, so it’s OK to not pay for the education of our veterans.”

That the GOP is against actually giving even a scrap of half-chewed meat to vets is not surprising. Nor is that the Blue Dogs are being obedient little lapdogs for Bush and his hate of this bill. But at least it's going to the floor.. And hopefully Webb will not give up on re-presenting the new GI Bill in various ways until it's through.

[Enforcer Talen]

I would love for the GIBILL bit to pass. I want a Master's Degree.

[Lonestar]

Yeah, same here. Especially as I qualify.

I mean, I would literally tell my boss the fuck off and go back to Texas A&M.

[Cecelia5578]

I'd love to see the Reserve GI Bill get paid as much as the Active Duty one.
The Reserve GI Bill sucks. At the least RC soldiers should have the option of paying money to contribute to the AD Bill, even if they haven't been mobed for two years in Iraq/A-Stan.

[Death from the Sea]

IIRC the reserve GI Bill does pay as much as the active duty one, IF you serve 18 months on active duty. During a time of war or time when all reserve units are seeing heavy use, I don't see a problem with them paying the same. But I don't think you can really justify paying the same rates during peacetime, I think that the 18 month rule works great as is.

If they have changed that since 2003, feel free to correct me on the 18 month requirement.

[CmdrWilkens]

IIRC the reserve GI Bill does pay as much as the active duty one, IF you serve 18 months on active duty. During a time of war or time when all reserve units are seeing heavy use, I don't see a problem with them paying the same. But I don't think you can really justify paying the same rates during peacetime, I think that the 18 month rule works great as is.

If they have changed that since 2003, feel free to correct me on the 18 month requirement.

They did.

They new Reserve GI BIll works like this:

Default monthly payment: 20% of active duty rate (ADR)
90days-<1year Active Duty: 40% of ADR
1 year- <2 years Active Duty: 60% of ADR
2 years- <3yearsActive Duty: 80% ADR
>3 years: Buy into Active Duty Plan

[Cecelia5578]

IIRC the reserve GI Bill does pay as much as the active duty one, IF you serve 18 months on active duty. During a time of war or time when all reserve units are seeing heavy use, I don't see a problem with them paying the same. But I don't think you can really justify paying the same rates during peacetime, I think that the 18 month rule works great as is.

If they have changed that since 2003, feel free to correct me on the 18 month requirement.

They did.

They new Reserve GI BIll works like this:

Default monthly payment: 20% of active duty rate (ADR)
90days-<1year Active Duty: 40% of ADR
1 year- <2 years Active Duty: 60% of ADR
2 years- <3yearsActive Duty: 80% ADR
>3 years: Buy into Active Duty Plan

Alas, active duty for training doesn't count. I must have been one of the few RC soldiers not to get mobilized from 2003-2007.

[Knife]

Pfft, call me when they change the ten year limit rule.

[The Yosemite Bear]

erm how can McCain be aggainst this and not be a total hypocrite?

oh, yeah he can't, so guys, even though I'm on the VA friends list, quit bitching when I bring this up, every time you ask me to support McCain...

[CmdrWilkens]

Pfft, call me when they change the ten year limit rule.

Yeah the 10 year doesn't apply to reservists. You have to be actively drilling in order to receive the money. So when I went to the IRR despite having 6 months left on my contract and about 18 total months in active duty service I got $0 from the VA starting at that point. Lets also not even go into the whole years of eligibility deal for reservists. You only get 4 years of pay-outs so fuck you if you want to get an engineering degree that almost requires 5 years or if you want to go add a master's to your bachelor's)

*Minor edit. The 10 year still applies to reservists, I meant to indicate that we have it even worse. So as a reservist if you hit your 11 year mark and are sitll drilling you aren't gonna get a penney.

[RedImperator]

I do think the Blue Dogs have a point. Congress needs to get used to the idea of paying for things it wants with revenues instead of debt. But on the other hand, they're drawing the "this-far-and-no-further" line right in the middle of a bill to pay for an entire war on credit for which they're voting.

I wonder how many of these same Blue Dogs voted against the Pork For Everybody--er, I mean, the Farm Bill.