[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE MONTGOMERY GI BILL ENHANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAVE CAMP

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 25, 2003

  Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to correct 
an unfair restriction that is preventing some of our career military 
service members from using the Montgomery GI Bill.
  Education assistance has been a cornerstone of military benefits for 
over 50 years. congress recognized that military service often 
prevented young people from attending school and attaining higher 
levels of education. In 1944, Congress passed the original education 
bill for service members, the Serviceman's Readjustment Act. This World 
War II era legislation provided billions of dollars in education and 
training incentives for veterans and active duty personnel. The nation 
has reaped many times that amount in return investment from a well-
trained work force and a more productive society.
  Building on the success of the original GI Bill, Congress has passed 
several other pieces of legislation expanding veterans' educational 
benefits. The Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) was 
enacted in 1976 as a recruitment and retention tool for the post-
Vietnam era. This was the first program requiring payment contributions 
from military personnel while they were on active duty and was 
available to people who entered active duty between December 31, 1976 
and July 1, 1985.
  In 1984, Congress passed the All volunteer Force Educational 
Assistance program; more commonly call the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB). 
This expanded program provided better benefits that offered under VEAP 
and last year Congress passed legislation to boost MGIB by a record 46 
percent over two years. With the enactment of this legislation, an 
estimated 409,000 veterans and service members will receive assistance 
under MGIB for education and training in 2003.
  In 1996, Congress passed Public Law 104-275, allowing VEAP 
participants to transfer their education accounts to MGIB and 41,041 
veterans and servicepersons took advantage of the opportunity. The 
opportunity to convert to MGIB is very important because the benefits 
available are much greater. Unfortunately, those individuals who were 
on active duty before 1985 and did not participate in VEAP were not 
eligible to sign-up for MGIB, leaving a gap in available coverage for 
certain career military personnel. Congress has voted several times in 
the last decade to allow VEAP participants opportunities to transfer to 
MGIB, but there has not been an opportunity for those who did not have 
VEAP accounts to sign up for the new program, excluding them from 
taking advantage of great educational benefits.
  This unjust situation can easily be remedied. My legislation provides 
a one-year open enrollment period for individuals falling into the gap 
to attain the benefits that they deserve. This is a matter of equity. 
We cannot neglect our career military personnel; they have served 
bravely and honorably for decades and their experiences are crucial to 
the security of our nation. Now is the opportunity to ensure that they 
are provided for and have the same benefits that are available to other 
members of the Armed Forces.

                          ____________________