[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 130 (Friday, October 7, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11295-S11296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        GI EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS

  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, the original G.I. bill in 1944 made a 
sacred bargain: honor our troops for their sacrifice, and keep faith 
with our veterans by helping them readjust to civilian life. 
Historically, G.I. bill educational benefits have risen and fallen--at 
times covering over 100 percent of the cost of tuition, books, supplies 
and other educational costs. And we know how valuable its benefits have 
become in recruiting the world's finest military.
  But each year, the G.I. bill covers a little bit less of the cost of 
education in this country. It's a cruel mathematical calculation--the 
cost of a university education is growing faster than the benefits 
provided by the G.I. bill. Our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and around 
the world fight just as hard and sacrifice just as much as any in 
American history. Yet the G.I. bill--this great act of gratitude that 
transformed America 60 years ago--has not kept pace. Today, our troops 
return home to a G.I. bill that covers only 63 percent of the average 
price of a 4-year public secondary education. The result is veterans 
struggling to afford the education they were promised and have earned.
  The U.S. Congress should never break promises to our veterans--like 
28-year-old Jeff Memmer. As a member of the U.S. Navy, Jeff served two 
deployments in the Persian Gulf between 1996 and 2002. When he came 
home, he had to take out tens of thousands of dollars in emergency 
loans and work part time as a bartender to get through school because 
costs kept outpacing benefits. He said, ``When I started putting a plan 
together in 1999, the benefit would have covered two-thirds of my 
tuition and costs. By the time I got to college, the tuition had 
increased so much it only covered half, and by the time I graduated it 
was only covering a third of my expenses.'' We are not proposing that 
veterans live in luxury while they earn their degrees. But clearly, it 
shouldn't be this hard.

[[Page S11296]]

  Take the case of Eric VonEuw, a veteran of 4 years with the airborne 
infantry. Even with G.I. bill benefits, he is working part time to make 
ends meet and cover the cost of his community college. If he is able to 
finish at UC Davis, his benefits won't cover half his bills.
  Today's military looks a lot different from the military I served in 
during the Vietnam war. Today, almost 60 percent of enlisted men and 
women are married. These veterans are faced with a choice: to borrow 
for their education or to take care of their families now.
  The amendment I offered on the Defense appropriations bill, 
cosponsored by Senator Ensign, would have required a report on G.I. 
bill educational benefits--who uses them, how they are used, and how 
they can be improved. The report would have included cost estimates to 
help us assess various options for increasing the value of the 
education benefits so they cover more, if not all, of the costs of a 4-
year public education.
  In the course of preparing this amendment, Senator Ensign and I were 
invited to work with the Veterans' Affairs Committee to accomplish the 
same thing. We hope this approach will be successful and will therefore 
not bring our amendment to a vote.
  This is the start of an effort to improve G.I. bill educational 
benefits. It is not just the right thing to do; it is critical to our 
national security. We all know that this is the most challenging 
recruiting environment in the history of the All-Volunteer military. In 
a 2004 survey, servicemembers reported that the G.I. bill is the number 
one reason they choose to enlist in the military. We must make sure 
that we understand how those benefits are being used and what the 
alternatives are to improve them.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the letter I sent with 
Senator Ensign to the Veterans' Affairs Committee, which was mentioned 
above, be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                  Washington, DC, October 5, 2005.
     Senator Larry Craig,
     Chairman,
     Senator Daniel Akaka,
     Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
         Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
     Representative Steven Buyer,
     Chairman,
     Representative Lane Evans,
     Ranking Member, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Cannon 
         House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Craig, Senator Akaka, Congressman Buyer, and 
     Congressman Evans: As you continue negotiations on The 
     Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2005, S1235, and its 
     companion bills in the House, we write to draw your attention 
     to 38 USC, Section 3036, which required a biannual report 
     from the Secretary of Defense on the use and adequacy of 
     readjustment and educational benefits for veterans. As of 
     January 2005, no additional reports are required by this 
     section.
       We believe receiving this report remains vital today. This 
     country is at war. American forces are serving heroically 
     around the world, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. The 
     men and women of our armed forces serve for many reasons. 
     Undoubtedly, all serve with a sense of patriotism and duty to 
     country. But there are other important reasons a young 
     American chooses the military, and as recently as 2004 a 
     survey indicated that educational benefits are the primary 
     reason soldiers cite for their decision to enlist.
       It is no secret that we are today in the midst of the most 
     challenging recruiting environment our all-volunteer military 
     has ever faced. The Army officially fell short of its FY2005 
     recruiting goals, delaying the expansion of the active-duty 
     Army. It is essential that we continue to receive periodic 
     updates from the Secretary of Defense on the value of 
     education benefits to new recruits, how these benefits are 
     used by veterans, and recommendations about how the benefits 
     can be improved.
       Accordingly, we ask you to reauthorize 38 USC Section 3036, 
     with the minor modification of the first issuance of the 
     report being required within six months of enactment of this 
     bill. We also ask that you consider an additional 
     modification to require that the first report include the 
     attached provisions from an amendment we offered on the 
     Defense Authorization bill to provide a more accurate 
     estimate of the costs of various proposals to increase GI 
     Bill benefits.
       We appreciate your continued leadership on this issue.
           Sincerely,
     John Kerry.
     John Ensign.

                          ____________________