National Debt & Deficit Spending Out of Sight - Out of Mind
It is “business-as-usual” in Washington, even when it comes to our servicemen and women. At issue is how to fund them while they are in the midst of combat and how to provide for their future on their return.
During my time at the Naval Academy I purchased a book entitled “War Without Heroes” that presented a photographic montage of the Viet Nam war. As I reflect on our War Against Terrorism it is as if we are replaying that era.
We have few servicemen and women presented publicly as heroes and little is asked of us, the people of a nation at war. …And our Congress uses the military as a political football.
Now we are presented with a proposed GI Bill, in many ways similar to the World War II era GI Bill, and Congress is handling it in a business-as-usual manner. The House attached what amounts to a poison pill for the President by seeking to pay for the cost of the proposed Veteran’s Benefits by an increased tax on the wealthy.
It appears that the Senate has removed this tax increase, and other unpalatable “riders” when it passed this bill. The Senate then added its own “riders.” This is indicative of precisely why this nation is very unhappy with Congress. They just haven’t disciplined themselves.
I believe that in voting to send our troops off to fight in a foreign land the Congress assumed a responsibility to ensure that these troops would be taken care of along the way. As such when issues such as these “GI Bill” benefits come along the Congress should not play politics with such a bill.
They should propose and pass such legislation and send it on to the President, period. No poison pill, no riders that might never pass on their own merits, and certainly the Congress must take responsibility for funding it. This funding should be folded into the general budget when that process brings it up.
Either Congress disciplines itself or our servicemen and women become political footballs.
Our young men and women go off to war, called by the nation. They ask little. Yet in their heart they all acknowledge that their life may be forfeit if needed. They ask simply that their life not be wasted if called. They also ask that their families be taken care of and that they be made whole if wounded, at least to the best care of medical science.
In turn this nation can say thanks for their service in ways that span generations. The World War II GI Bill, and the Viet Nam era GI Bill both gave many veterans a leg up on their later life with education that they likely would never have afforded without these benefits.
In a longer view the economic benefit to this nation from the World War II era GI Bill was enormous. Today, in a time when our economy is weakened and the war seems endless, it is very short sighted for Congress to play football with our veterans, their futures, and this nation’s future.
The very basis of our enormous wealth is our ability to innovate. Innovation comes from hard work, sweat, and, importantly, education.
This is a prime example of the change the American People want in Washington. Congress must discipline itself: get on with it, pull the extraneous stuff from it, and pass this GI Bill. Now.