Update from U.S. Senator John Cornyn
Enhanced GI Bill Provides A
New Era Of Benefits
The following column by Senator
Cornyn was published in the Houston Chronicle's
Texas on the Potomac blog, which can be accessed
here.
In the military, there is a
common expression that “we recruit troops, but
we retain families.” Last year, Congress
reaffirmed its commitment to this principle by
passing the new “Post 9/11” G.I. Bill to assist
veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The new program implemented under
this landmark legislation, which took effect
Aug. 1, improves this important education
program for service members and their families.
Originally passed in 1944 to help returning
World War II veterans, the new bill updates and
enhances benefits for service members who are
fighting in today’s wars, as well as their
families.
Two important questions were
asked during the debate on how best to improve
the G.I. Bill: How do we modernize the G.I. Bill
to provide maximum benefit for those who have
worn the uniform while also making sure it
provides for benefits to military families? And
how can we best preserve and sustain the
all-volunteer military force, which is so
fundamental to our national security?
I believe this bill accomplishes
both objectives. This legislation updates
existing benefits to better empower service
members through education, while at the same
time bolstering recruitment and retention by
helping military personnel attend college
debt-free.
Because of this bill, for the
first time, service members have the ability to
transfer unused educational benefits they have
earned through the G.I. Bill to their spouses
and children – something I worked hard to
include in the final version. Transferability is
the number one G.I. Bill benefit requested by
today’s service members, and I’m proud to report
that so far, upwards of 25,000 applications to
transfer benefits have been received by the
Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
Our troops have answered the call
of duty and in return, we must fully support
their right to further their education and
provide critical benefits to their family
members. A modernized G.I. Bill was long
overdue and is something our troops and their
families deserve for their heroic service in the
defense of freedom.
I’m pleased this program has
begun so that many of our service members right
here in Texas can take advantage of its many
benefits. More importantly, I’m glad that the
Post 9/11 G.I. Bill properly recognizes the
critical role of education to this new Greatest
Generation, while at the same time rewarding our
fine men and women in uniform, as well as their
families, who continue to serve our country so
well and honorably.
