Its all good and fine to bash those Dems against this wonderful bill...But lets show both sides, shall we?
Quote:
Republicans are opposing Jim Webb's great new GI bill in order to minimize or hide the apparent cost of the war. Their strategy has two parts. First, they have created a vets education bill, Graham Burr McCain, that doesn't do much but does give their senators something harmless to co-sponsor as an alternative to Webb bill. They hope that will make it impossible for Senator Webb to get the 60 co-sponsors needed to get his bill out of committee in a filibuster proof form.
Secondly, they have been making the case that the Webb bill will hurt retention rates in the military. To advance that case, today's Washington Times editorializes the Webb bill will reduce retention by 16%( http://washingtontimes.com/art... and this would be a major problem as we fight terrorists. They base this on an analysis Judd Gregg requested from the Congressional Budget Office.
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Blue Hampshire: Politics ::: Republicans' next move against the Webb GI Bill Quote:
To this day, however, McCain has not signed on. Those committed to the legislation say they hold out hope and some expectation that he will ultimately back the measure (whether it be through co-sponsorship or a simple 'yes' vote). But the Senator's lack of leadership on the topic has been telling.
"John McCain needs to be on this bill," Webb said in a statement to The Huffington Post. "I have said to him several times that this is not a political issue -- this is about providing a fair, deserved benefit to our troops. Based on his own military history and how strongly he speaks about the positive contributions of the people who have served, I hope that he will get on board and support this new GI bill."
Indeed, opposition to the measure in the Senate is limited at best. There are those who argue that the cost -- roughly $2 billion more annually than the current bill -- is prohibitive. But last fall, Congress appropriated $19 billion or education grants on the basis of financial need. Moreover, the price tag for the Webb-Hagel measure is about the same as the cost of just a week at war.
The real hang-up for McCain may be the fact that the Bush administration has resisted the legislation. White House officials say that giving soldiers such an strong incentive to leave the armed forces would result in low retention rates. Soldiers sign up and -- after two years -- leave the army in droves to get their free education.
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McCain Is AWOL On New GI Bill - Politics on The Huffington Post
I honestly cannot understand how ANYONE can be against this Bill.