GI Bill upgrades unlikely to happen this year
Published: November 18, 2010
WASHINGTON – It’s unlikely that lawmakers will pass another slate of GI Bill upgrades before the end of the year, despite bipartisan support for such a measure. But a key staffer on the House Veterans Affairs Committee told a crowd of college administrators this week that he expects those reforms to be approved easily in 2011.
Michael Brinck, the Republican staff director for the panel’s economic opportunity subcommittee, said reforms to the new post-9/11 GI Bill benefits will be a top priority for the committee next year when his party takes over. The process could take until next September, he warned, but he expects to see results in the end.
Right now both the House and Senate are considering measures that would give troops more money for private college tuition, let the benefits pay for on-the-job training programs, and provide a housing stipend for distance learners.
Veterans groups have pushed for the measures, but the compressed and crowded legislative schedule for the rest of the year leaves a slim chance that they will become law. Brinck said he doubts either chamber will make a serious push before next session.
But he believes that lawmakers next session will be able to find money to pay for the $2 billion-plus in proposed benefits changes already on the table.
Brinck did have bad news for military families, however. He told the crowd he does not expect any expansion of benefits for families of servicemembers, or any provisions allowing troops who used their GI Bill before the changes to receive new payouts.
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