New GI Bill - Thoughts?
 

Anyone have views on the proposed new GI bill, that would give all returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans enough funding for a 4 year public college?

I realize there's a bunch of political maneuvering around the bill, but I'm more asking if, fundamentally, it is a good idea?

Seems like a good idea to me. I sure wish we had that GI Bill when i served. Ours was nothing like that, but still good. I used mine for technical school(assoc. equivelant).

I understand Bush is expected to veto the bill anyways.

It passed the house by a super-majority though, didn't it? If so, it's "veto-proof".

It passed the senate 75-22.Bush is expected to veto the bill. Think about that for a minute. The "Support the Troops" is going to veto a bill that will be more than a magnet slogan on an SUV. It is also thought that when it goes back to the Senate for a vote to over-ride the veto, those Republicans who voted "yea" will quietly go back across the aisle, and push for a McCain watered down version. McCain, the pro-war, veteran, was a "no-show".

So what are all the "earmarks" on the bill the dems have put on it, must be some more farm BS or other major spending tacked on.

Wish they had that extensive of a GI Bill when I used mine. If I remember right the most I received toward the end of it was $178/mo. But at that time it helped out a lot with education costs and some living expenses. It would have taken me a lot longer to get through college without it though I still had to work at jobs that I could fit my work schedule around my school schedule.
I think it is a good investment for the over all economy. I imagine most who stick with it would end up with decent careers paying a decent amount of taxes. Even with full funding for the 4 years of education, life wouldn't be overly luxurious. Those who aren't serious will drop out.

Must be something like this added on to the bill.

Wish this would end and they would vote on one bill at a time.

Course I wish that we could fire the lot of them and start over with term limits as well but thats going to happen after hell freezes over...

Here is some more. Looks like there are not enough to override a veto.

The GI Bill championed by Webb, a freshman Democrat, passed 256-166. It would pay college tuition plus a cost-of-living allowance to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The majority included 32 Republicans, bolstering Webb's claim that, despite opposition from the Bush administration, the bill has bipartisan support. The vote total was far short of the two-thirds of House members needed to override a veto, however.

Well gawd damn, when the pres gets a bill to sign, pocket, or veto, he has to look at the contents, and since there are ZERO germaneness (the term you are wanting to hear) rules which congress adheres to, but should, of course it's going to be what you call watered down. I look at totally different. Quit loading up flat bed trucks with language that might fit, but is constitutionally incapable of passing the test of germaneness. It's bullshyte, I'm tired of it, you should be also.

House has to concur in Senate amendments or go to conference. So many plays left.

Edit: saw your vote count, no can do on the override of the original, it takes 290. Anyway, ask your candidate if they will support the germaness rules that exist. Suspension of rules is a different deal, but a big one nonetheless.

FOR

Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Inouye (D-HI)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wicker (R-MS)
Wyden (D-OR)
AGAINST

Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lugar (R-IN)
McConnell (R-KY)
Sessions (R-AL)
Voinovich (R-OH)

NOT VOTING

Coburn (R-OK)
Kennedy (D-MA)
McCain (R-AZ)

I'm showing my ignorance or lack thereof, thought it was 2/3 of both chambers to override a veto. Appointments are senate only and are 2/3.

So what are all the add ons, what is the rest of the bill?

Don't know, I couldn't find any specifics.
I don't think they like to let those things out.

One of them is that this occupation has to be over in 2009 I think.
I guess it really doesn't matter since only republicans voted against the bill. In 2009 there probably won't be a republican in Washington, they will just run the thing through again with no problems.

That's it, it isn't just a simple bill to give the Vets some help, it is a mess.
It's all about Pelosi.

They have to. It's open record. Do some research.

If there were 536 elected democrats in Washington, D.C., this bill still couldn't get passed. They'll cut themselves up over how they're going to spend your and my taxes.

This is precisely why line-item veto power is needed.

Keep dreaming. The SCOTUS killed that idea around 1996, though it passed the House and Senate and Clinton signed it. IIRC, Sen. Robert Byrd (all time king of pork) dropped his filibuster threat to let it pass so the SCOTUS could rule on it before he got too old or died.

Although I don't know all the proposal's details, on the surface, I think this is a great idea. :)

Oooo, didn't know McCain was pledging to veto all bills with earmarks. Just makes me lean more towards McCain, of course it helps that the more Obama talks about his actual policy plans the more socialist he looks...