Join the Fight for Veterans Benefits

Senator Webb has taken his fight for a new GI Bill to the people.

Did you know:
Those who served our nation in uniform no longer are guaranteed that we’ll thank them for their service by covering the total cost of their college education?

It’s all true. Toward the end of World War II, and for many years after, Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944-commonly known as the G.I. Bill of Rights, provided an opportunity for every veteran to go to the college of their choice. This was just one small way of repaying the sacrifices our troops made, and helped an entire generation get a higher education.

But, today, despite some adjustments to the G.I. Bill, continuing education is far out of reach for those who served our nation in uniform – even those coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan after multiple, extended deployments.

It is time to honor their sacrifice, by passing new legislation that will guarantee that every veteran can once again afford to go to any institute of higher learning. Join us in our effort, and let public officials in Washington know that this is a real priority for a nation that loves our men and women who have served. - NewGIBill.org

On the website, you can join the campaign to lobby Congressional leaders to support and pass the bill, which restores to our veterans their right to a college education after serving their country.



You can go here to send a note to your representatives in Congress to support the bill. For those of us here in the 10th District, it should be noted that Frank Wolf has not deigned to support this bill, though it was introduced in June of 2007. Apparently, helping our current veterans is much less important than dedicating another civil war site. (Also missing from the co-sponsor rolls? Congressman Goode, Congresswoman Drake, Congressman Goodlatte, Congressman Forbes, Congressman Wittman and Congressman Cantor.)

It is shameful that perhaps our most famous veteran, John McCain, has not signed on to support the bill, though Sen. Webb has personally asked him to do so - three times. His arguments against the bill, which center around asserting that it will hurt retention, are specious on their face: the answer to retention problems is not keeping artificially low benefits, it is returning them to levels provided to previous generations of veterans.

Go write your Representatives, and let's get this done.

[update] The national blogosphere is on this as well. Go Jim Webb!