[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5995]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            MGIB LEGISLATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 25, 2006

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an 
inequity facing America's men and women in uniform who seek an 
education in return for their military service.
  For years, the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) has allowed thousands of men 
and women in uniform attend college or to receive vocational training 
to prepare for a new career after the military.
  It is an excellent program and one we must preserve.
  However, Mr. Speaker, I would like to remedy an inequity that exists 
in this program with legislation I am introducing today.
  To receive the benefits of the Montgomery GI Bill, our service 
members must pay $1,200 to $1,800 into the program at the beginning of 
their military service.
  A $100 is deducted each month from their military pay for the first 
12 months, for example.
  With the legislation I offer today, our service members would still 
make the initial contribution. However, this contribution would no 
longer count against them later on when they apply for federal student 
aid.
  In many cases, Mr. Speaker, the Montgomery GI Bill alone does not 
cover the cost for college or job training. Our service members must 
also apply for federal student aid to cover tuition and other expenses.
  The Department of Education considers their benefits from the 
Montgomery GI Bill as ``income''--thereby reducing the amount they are 
eligible to receive from federal student aid programs.
  This legislation goes back to the $1,200 out-of-pocket contribution 
that a service member made to become eligible for the Montgomery GI 
Bill.
  It is not fair to ask our service members to pay the original amount 
out of their own pocket and then penalize them for it later on.
  This bill would simply exempt the original contribution that came 
from their own pocket from the Department of Education's income 
consideration.
  This legislation does not present significant cost to the federal 
government but would go a long way to help America's individual service 
members afford college.
  I offered the provisions contained in this legislation as part of the 
College Access and Opportunity Act (H.R. 609) when it was on the House 
floor.
  Unfortunately, the amendment was not accepted, but I plan to pursue 
the issue until we correct this inequity.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take just a moment to thank those 
who have worked on this issue and who have pushed for the exemption in 
the past.
  I am proud to offer this legislation along with Ranking Member Lane 
Evans of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. Evans and his staff have been seeking a remedy for this inequity 
for several years.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to offer legislation 
benefiting America's military service members and helping them to 
attend college or receive job training.

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