NEWS FROM….

CONGRESSMAN LANE EVANS

RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS

    U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Washington, DC - Congressman Lane Evans of Illinois, Democratic Leader of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, today hailed House approval of the Veterans’ and Dependents Millennium Education Act. "This legislation provides a significant increase in veterans education benefits. It is an important first step in a much needed major overhaul of the educational benefits our nation’s veterans earn through their honorable service in the Armed Forces," Evans said.

"The Veterans’ and Dependents Millennium Education Act will also help our Armed Forces recruit the high-caliber young men and women the military needs for today’s increasingly complex and technologically-advanced defense," Evans added. Financial assistance for college is recognized as the most effective recruitment incentive offered by the armed services. Benefits for higher education under the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) have not kept pace with rapid increases in the cost of obtaining a college education, however. This legislation is a down payment on closing that gap.

With the increase in the amount of education benefits veterans will receive, Evans said he expected more veterans to use their Montgomery GI Bill education benefits. "This will be good for our veterans individually and it will be good for the country. By obtaining a higher education, veterans will realize a lifetime of increased earnings and our nation will be better prepared to meet the future’s demand for leadership and technological expertise. "This legislation is a ‘win, win, win, win’ situation for all Americans."

Under the Veterans’ and Dependents Millennium Education Act, the current basic monthly veterans education benefit would increase from $536 to $600 per month for full-time students starting October 1, 2000. On October 1, 2002, the basic monthly benefit would again increase to $720. There would be comparable increases for part-time students.

In addition, the bill would allow persons still on active duty to convert from the old Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) to the MGIB. The measure would increase educational benefits for the spouses and children of certain deceased veterans, and modernize the MGIB with needed structural enhancements, including the use of benefits to pay for occupational licensing and certification tests.

Educational benefits under the MGIB program have traditionally provided a meaningful readjustment benefit and an effective recruitment incentive for the men and women of America’s Armed Forces. Since implementation of the MGIB in 1985, there have been significant economic and societal changes in America that have mandated revisions in the structure and benefit level of the program. Quite simply, the MGIB program has failed to keep up with the escalating costs of higher education.

As a Marine veteran of the Vietnam era and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Evans has been concerned about the declining purchasing power of the GI Bill and recent difficulties the Armed Forces have experienced with meeting their recruitment objectives. The military relies on education benefits to recruit highly capable soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

Evans emphasized the Veterans’ and Dependents Millennium Education Act was a "first-step" in a major overhaul of veterans’ education benefits. The original GI Bill succeeded in helping World War II veterans readjust to civilian life after their military service. Together with Congressman John Dingell (D-MI), Evans has authored legislation to restore effectiveness to the veterans educational benefits program. Accordingly, the Evans-Dingell bill, H.R. 1071, would cover the full costs of tuition, fees, books and supplies for servicemembers whose period of enlistment was four years or more. The Evans-Dingell bill has gained the support of more than 140 members of the House.

"Enhancements to the MGIB program are long overdue," said Evans. In support of the need to revitalize the MGIB program, Evans cites the report of the Congressional Commission on Servicemembers and Veterans Transition Assistance. This bipartisan Transition Commission concluded "…an opportunity to obtain the best education for which they qualify is the most valuable benefit our Nation can offer the men and women whose military service preserves our liberty." Evans describes H.R. 4268 as only part of a series of increases necessary to restore the MGIB to its original purchasing power.

"Veterans are not using the Montgomery GI Bill benefits they earned through honorable military service," Evans said. "College-bound young Americans are choosing not to serve in the Armed Forces. Significant improvements in the program will increase its usage and will enable the military services to recruit the high-ability young people they need. I plan to keep working hard for a significant upgrade of the GI Bill."

The original GI bill was perhaps the greatest social program ever passed by Congress. Its impact on post World War II America was profound and unparalleled. Millions of America's veterans who otherwise might not have been able to afford a college education received a college degree from some of our country's greatest institutions of higher learning. "That investment in our veterans has been repaid by higher tax revenues on higher incomes many times over," Evans said. "It was a wise investment in our nation’s future that we made then and we should not hesitate to make such a wise investment again. The measure the House adopted today, with strong Administration support for an MGIB increase, puts us closer to the mark."