Military and Veterans

Our country owes a debt of gratitude to the men and women who sacrifice everything to serve in the U.S. military. They put their country before themselves, often times traveling thousands of miles away from their family and friends on important military missions. These troops deserve the best care our country can give them as they enter into battle and as they return home heroes.

Unfortunately our current leadership has failed our active duty military and our veterans. They refuse to listen to military experts about troop strength, continue to send troops on dangerous missions without proper equipment, and underfund healthcare programs that provide critical services for our military veterans. Our government can and must do better. That is why my Democratic colleagues and I have introduced a new GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century to improve benefits for our men and women in uniform and provide long overdue benefits for our military retirees.

Health Care - We want to make health care accessible, timely, and affordable to our veterans by providing an additional $1.8 billion in veterans' health care funding. Our VA system is overwhelmed right now as thousands of men and women return from overseas with illness or injuries. The VA has treated over 100,000 returning veterans from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, but many more still wait for proper health care treatment. We need to expand health care services to make sure no veteran has to wait for proper care. The measure also recognizes the great sacrifice of our National Guard and Reserve by expanding military health care to cover all reservists. This will improve recruitment and retention rates and make sure our reservists do not suffer a pay cut while deployed.

Education and Job Training - The GI Bill would help soldiers become a productive part of our economy by providing financial assistance for college or job training to any individual who completes at least four years of active duty. The measure would specifically cover the full cost of tuition and fees and provide a living allowance for up to 36 months of schooling. The GI bill would also assist homeless veterans with employment and protect bonuses and special pay for those who are permanently injured, wounded, or killed in service. In addition, the GI bill will continue combat pay or other additional compensation for those recovering from combat injuries.

Troop Strength and Equipment - The New GI Bill of Rights would make sure our troops have the needed manpower and equipment by increasing troop levels and providing top-of-the line equipment. Our military has called hundreds of thousands of National Guardsman to service over the past three years, extending many of their deployments beyond the original timeframe. The new GI Bill would recognize this sacrifice by providing a $1,000 bonus to troops who have served in imminent danger in Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Afghanistan.

Benefits - The new GI Bill of Rights would also provide veterans with the benefits they earned and deserve. The measure would fully repeal the Disabled Veterans Tax, which forces disabled military retirees to give up one dollar of their pension for every dollar of disability pay they receive and improve the timeliness and accuracy of benefit claims. Veterans with a service-connected disability claim have a right to a timely resolution of their appeals. The measure would also support military families by ending the Military Family's Tax which penalizes survivors of those killed as a result of combat. Under current law, widows lose their survivor benefits if they receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits because their spouse died of a service-connected injury.

Congressional Research Service Reports

• Military Forces: What is the Appropriate Size for the United States?
• Veterans' Health Care Issues in the 109th
• Veterans' Benefits Issues in the 109th
• Veterans' Medical Care Fiscal Year 2007 Appropriations

CRS reports require the Adobe Reader software (free)