[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 76 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GI BILL

  Mr. THURMOND. Madam President, we recently celebrated the 
commemoration of one of the most significant events of this century, 
the landing of Allied forces on beaches of Normandy. I, along with many 
of my colleagues, have spoken on this floor and elsewhere regarding the 
50th anniversary of D-day. I wish to thank my colleagues who have 
offered their kind remarks in reference to my military service and 
again pay tribute to all who served this Nation in that time of need.
  Madam President, during 1943-44, while our Nation's veterans were 
valiantly serving throughout the world, the Congress was enacting 
legislation to provide for the readjustment of veterans who had 
returned or would be returning to civilian life. The Servicemen's 
Readjustment Act of 1944, popularly known as the GI bill of rights, was 
the primary legislation to accomplish this goal. This legislation, 
unanimously enacted 50 years ago, was signed by President Roosevelt on 
June 22, 1944.
  The American Legion is credited with designing the primary features 
of the GI Bill and with leading a nationwide campaign to win its 
passage. I salute the American Legion and other veterans' organizations 
which made such a contribution and continue to work on behalf of all 
veterans.
  Let me elaborate on some of the provisions of this act. First, the 
bill provided for education and training benefits. These benefits were 
available to all veterans who served a minimum of 90 days in the 
military and were discharged other than dishonorably. Depending on 
their length of service, veterans were entitled to training and 
education for a period of 1 to 4 years. This benefit could be completed 
at approved educational institutions, scientific and technical schools, 
vocational schools, apprenticeship programs, and training at industrial 
establishments.
  The Veterans' Administration paid the institution the cost of 
tuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment, and related expense, up to a 
maximum of $500 per year. The educational assistance program also 
provided for a subsistence allowance of up to $50 per month for 
veterans with no dependents, or up to $75 per month for veterans with 
dependents.
  Madam President, by 1956, when the program terminated, 7.8 million 
World War II veterans had used this benefit to receive training and 
education. Over 2.2 million veterans attended colleges and 
universities, accounting for 49 percent of college enrollment in 1947. 
Another 3.5 million veterans attended other schools, 1.4 million 
veterans completed on-the-job training programs, while 690,000 veterans 
participated in agricultural training programs. An additional 12.5 
million veterans have benefited from assistance programs enacted 
subsequent to the GI bill of 1944.
  A second major benefit program of the bill was the home loan program. 
The act provided for the guaranty by the Federal Government of not to 
exceed 50 percent of a loan made to a veteran for the purchase or 
construction of homes, the purchase of farms and farm equipment, or for 
the purchase of business properties.
  The loan guaranty program of the original GI bill is still in force, 
although the benefit has been modified by subsequent legislation. This 
program contributed significantly to the transition from a war economy 
to a peacetime economy by providing an outlet for investing the pool of 
savings which had accumulated during the war. These investments helped 
avert the economic recession typically associated with postwar periods.
  The loan program, offered in lieu of cash bonuses, helped veterans to 
establish or improve their credit ratings. Because of their wartime 
service, many veterans missed the opportunity to establish favorable 
credit ratings. The GI bill home loan guaranty helped place veterans on 
a par with civilians who had developed favorable credit ratings during 
the war economy years.
  The home loan guaranty program has provided home ownership 
opportunities to millions of veterans and their families. Since the 
inception of the program, over 14 millions loans, totaling over $400 
billion, have been guaranteed.
  A third category of benefits of the GI bill of 1944 concerned 
employment services. The act established an improved structure for 
effective job counseling and placement for returning soldiers and 
sailors.
  Madam President, to assist veterans between discharge from military 
service and reemployment, the Act provided for the payment of an 
unemployment allowance of $20 per week, with a partial offset for 
earned wages, for a maximum of 52 weeks. While critics charged that 
such payments would encourage veterans to avoid employment during their 
period of eligibility, the record shows that less than one-fifth of the 
potential benefits were claimed. Furthermore, only about 5 percent of 
participating veterans claimed all 52 weeks of the payment.
  When President Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 
1944, he stated ``It gives emphatic notice to the men and women in our 
armed forces that the American people do not intend to let them down.'' 
The GI bill provided the special benefits which were due to the 
veterans and more. The act is credited with creating the middle class, 
contributing to the growth of the postwar economy, making college 
obtainable and affordable for millions, and bringing home ownership 
within reach of the average American. In 1990, President George Bush 
stated:

       The GI bill changed the lives of millions by replacing old 
     roadblocks with paths of opportunity. And, in so doing, it 
     boosted America's work force, it boosted America's economy, 
     and really, it changed the life of our nation.''

  In recognition of the 50th anniversary of enactment of this landmark 
legislation, I was pleased to sponsor a bill, joined by all my 
colleagues on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, commemorating the 
anniversary. The measure requests the President to issue a proclamation 
calling on the people of the United States to observe that day with 
appropriate ceremonies and activities. I encourage my colleagues to 
support this bill. I know many in this body have taken advantage of the 
benefits of the GI bill.
  I have stated many times that the highest obligation of American 
citizenship is to defend this country in time of need. This obligation 
creates an equal responsibility on the part of our Nation to care for 
the men and women who have sacrificed and suffered as a result of their 
service.
  Senator Wagner, of New York, stated upon enactment of the GI bill 
that it was designed to repay, in some small measure, the brave men and 
women who were forging victory at the risk of their lives. He went on 
to say, ``No money can compensate for the sacrifices that military 
service demands. Rather, it is for us to make the country our 
servicemen return to, the kind of land they fight for, a land of 
opportunity, security, and peace, a land where every man has a chance 
to work and develop to his fullest capacity.''
  Madam President, we must stand ready to continue to assist in 
defending and supporting this Nation and the men and women Veterans who 
served. I encourage my colleagues and all Americans to consider the 
price that has been paid on our behalf; to pause and reflect on the 
duty owed to those who paid the price. Finally, I encourage all 
Americans to appropriately commemorate the 50th anniversary of the GI 
bill.
  I yield the floor.

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