[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11783]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   D-DAY AND THE GREATEST GENERATION

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, today is a noteworthy anniversary. It 
is the anniversary of D-day, the day the largest invasion force in the 
history of man landed on the beaches of Normandy.
  They came from across the world--133,000 brave soldiers, sailors, and 
airmen--from England, Canada, and the United States. On that particular 
day, more than 10,000 soldiers died, giving their lives so that their 
families, their country, and the rest of the world could live in peace 
and be free.
  The bravery and honor of those men has come to be known with three 
simple words: ``the greatest generation.'' Their sacrifice in battle 
and their continued service once they got home defined everything that 
was good and right about America. We honored their service and 
sacrifice with parades and public ceremonies and memorials to the 
fallen, but it was also honored in another way. We gave them the chance 
to go to college and pursue an education. We gave them the chance to 
build a better future for themselves and their families. Those of us 
who served in that terrible war got the chance to begin the innovation 
that drove America into the future. We received the GI bill for our 
service.
  Many veterans of World War II have served in the Senate, many of whom 
were honored by medals of valor. We still have someone who served in 
World War II who earned the Medal of Honor--Senator Dan Inouye from 
Hawaii--for his incredible bravery in World War II, for his bravery 
under fire.
  I am who I am today because of the GI bill. One of my dreams was to 
go to college--a dream that came true because of that bill, the GI 
bill. Eight of the sixteen million World War II veterans got an 
education because of that bill. It was paid for, and it even carried a 
small stipend for the expenses that one had as a college student. Now 
we need to start to build a new greatest generation. I want the 
veterans of the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan to have the same 
opportunity--an opportunity that enables them to contribute to their 
families and our Nation.
  A college education is a key to that opportunity, but college costs 
have jumped so high--57 percent just in the last 6 years. The current 
GI bill does not cover those costs. So our brave veterans are forced to 
pay for their tuition and books out of their own pockets, watch their 
debts get worse and worse, and some cannot get to college at all.
  We often say we honor our veterans, but now is the time to show them 
what we mean. That is exactly what our new GI bill does. Our bill 
closes the gap between the cost of college and the amount the veteran 
pays for their education. I am proud to be working with my colleagues. 
The occupant of the President's chair right now, Senator Jim Webb of 
Virginia, started this process--this bill--16 months ago. Others, 
including Senator Chuck Hagel, Senator John Warner, and I, and more 
than half of the Senate, are fighting to get them the benefits they 
earned. They deserve no less.
  The Senate has voted. The House has voted. Now we plead with 
President Bush to join with the majority of the Congress, all of the 
leading veterans organizations, and the American public in support of 
our bill. Since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, more 
than 1.5 million Americans have worn the uniform and served our Nation 
with honor and distinction. Now it is time for us to stand with our 
veterans who have served since 9/11 so they, too, can build a future 
for their families.
  After D-day, Americans recognized the sacrifice our troops made and 
came together to honor that service. Now is the time for us to stop 
playing politics and come together once again.
  Our veterans have earned a new GI bill. On this D-day anniversary, 
let's give them the respect and the benefits they deserve.
  I close with once again commending our colleague, Senator Jim Webb, 
who has himself a distinguished military record and insisted from his 
earliest days that we take care of our veterans so they can take care 
of America and regain the leadership this country has lost and will 
retrieve.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Webb). The Senator from North Dakota is 
recognized.

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