President Bush on the New G.I. Bill

Bush: Never Invest for Tomorrow What Can Be Spent Today
Tom Hanson, www.OpenEducation.net

While the debate as to the formal legacy of President George W. Bush may go on for a while, there is no doubt our current leader will go down in history as one of the most consistent men ever to head the oval office. Wrongheaded, rob Peter to pay Paul consistent, but consistent nonetheless.

And for those wondering about John McCain and whether or not the Republican nominee for president would in fact give America a third straight Bush term, he has once again aligned himself with the President on the new G.I. Bill proposed by Senator Webb of Virginia.

Both are in opposition to the proposal of the Democratic Senator that seeks an increase in the college benefit portion of the current G.I. Bill. The Webb revision would return the educational buying power of veterans to an amount similar to those who returned after World War II…

President Bush has willingly sent young men and women into a battle of questionable purpose, sending those same soldiers into battle over and over again. By all accounts, the President has stretched our current military to the breaking point. What is most troubling is that each of his recent decisions regarding the Iraq War and our armed forces demonstrates a consistent disinterest in the future of our military. 

This general disinterest in the future of our country permeates the man’s decision making. Whenever the chance comes to reinvest in his homeland, Bush cites some rationale to avoid doing so.

In regards to the bill, there is a key issue according to the President. The new G.I. Bill will encourage soldiers to leave uniform at the end of their basic service period.

In the eyes of the President, giving service personnel an opportunity for a potentially more prosperous future after having risked their lives in battle will put an enormous strain on our military. It will lead to a drop in retention, states Bush, and our current military cannot survive a drop in retention.

Current G.I. Bill College Benefit
The current maximum amount a veteran can earn under the GI Bill is a shade under $39,000. With college costs running at about $13,000 per year at public institutions and $30,000 at private colleges, the current amount does not cover four years of college. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that funds are available only for four years of school. Any veteran taking more than four years to graduate has to ante up the full costs for every year after the fourth. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the original GI Bill in 1944 the benefit did in fact cover the costs of tuition, room and board, and books at most schools.

The bill from Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., would cover the costs of college tuition, room and board, and provide a $1,000 monthly stipend for veterans who have been on active duty for at least two years. Webb believes that providing the equivalent funding of the original G.I. Bill for World War II-era veterans would raise the quality of life for those returning soldiers who have risked their lives. In addition, Webb sees the increased benefits as being a real boost to recruiting.

Wrong Decision for the Worst Reasons
In reaching his decision to veto the bill, Bush correctly notes one factor. According to a recently released report from the C.B.O., there would in fact be a drop in retention. Roughly a 16 percent drop.

At the same time the report offers another statistic that our president failed to mention. The C.B.O. notes that the new G.I. Bill would totally offset that re-enlistment decline, increasing new recruits by the same percentage.

In addition, the estimated cost of $52 billion over 10 years represents pennies on the dollar when compared to the ongoing costs of the Iraq War, pegged at about $12 billion a month.
As the New York Times offered in a recent editorial, President Bush and Senator John McCain have argued against a better G.I. Bill “for the worst reasons.” The Times states, “They would prefer that college benefits for service members remain just mediocre enough that people in uniform are more likely to stay put.”

Though historians are likely to debate the overall Bush legacy for years, there is no doubt that the man sees little benefit to investing in America’s future. Standing in opposition to improving the future of the very men and women who have put their lives on the line for our country is just one more example of the man’s unwillingness to invest in his own people.

Bush photo courtesy of Gunthert,

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