Operation Just Cause... ...for as long as it takes
Sent in by Veterans News and Information Services
WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Stump said Wednesday he found it curious the Administration should announce, after a long silence, its support for an improved GI Bill benefit one day before the VA Committee's scheduled action on legislation.
"I certainly welcome their support, even at this late hour," said Stump (R-AZ). "But there wasn't a word about improving the Montgomery GI Bill in the President's something-for-everyone State of the Union Speech last January or in the Administration's budget. Nor did the Adminstration make recommendations for MGIB improvements at our hearings in April and May of 1999. Now, here we are, one day before the VA Committee takes up a fiscally responsible bipartisan compromise increasing education benefits, and the Administration suddenly jumps up to take credit."
Stump said the Administration showed the same opportunism last year. Although the Administration recommended no spending increase for VA health care in its fiscal year 2000 budget, the Administration called for an increase the morning the House VA/HUD appropriations subcommittee voted on a $1 billion increase.
"I've worked for months on this proposal with Rep. John Kasich (R-OH), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, and Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL), Ranking Democrat on the House VA Committee. The budget resolution conference agreement includes funding for GI Bill increases, and bipartisan legislation, H.R. 4268, was introduced on April 13. It seems like this Administration's policy is to track veterans' legislation and then try to steal credit at the last moment by getting press attention," Stump said.
Stump said he hoped this last-minute "distraction" would not affect Thursday's scheduled VA Committee markup of H.R. 4268, the Veterans and Dependents Millennium Education Act.
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