House Democrats joined the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and several other veterans' groups last week to protest a proposed cut to a benefit included in the Post-9/11 GI Bill, reported The Military Times.
The Veterans Employment, Education, and Healthcare Improvement Act (H.R. 3016), passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in February, includes a 50 percent cut in the housing stipend for dependents of a military or veteran parent who had transferred the benefit to them. The U.S. Senate is considering a similar version of the bill.
The housing stipend often exceeds dependents' actual housing costs in college — sometimes by thousands of dollars, a commission said last year, Politico reported. The House bill would transfer some of the savings to extend education benefits to military widows by giving them more time to use the new GI Bill. Jonathan Schleifer, chief policy officer for IAVA, told Politico that the group is concerned this is a step toward Congress shifting funds instead of properly funding the benefit.
"We think it's tragic that Congress is playing a cynical game by putting one provision against another one," Schleifer said.
More than $58 billion has been paid out in new GI Bill benefits since 2009. Veterans' groups have long been concerned that it will become less generous as the wars wind down. But not all veterans group agree this way is the best approach to highlight their cause, according to the Military Times.
Related Links
The Military Times
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/04/14/lawmakers-join-vets-criticize-proposal-curb-post-911-gi-bill.html
Politico
http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-education/2016/04/teachers-unions-celebrate-california-ruling-213785