WASHINGTON – AAUW urges President Bush to sign the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2642), which includes an expansion of education benefits for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and an extension of unemployment insurance. Last night, the Senate passed the measure, which was approved by the House on June 19.
The legislation would expand the education benefits veterans receive under the G.I. Bill, restoring the promise of a full, four-year college education. Under the bill, veterans would be able to transfer the college education benefit to immediate family members. This is critical, especially since a postsecondary education will be necessary for the estimated 4 million new jobs that will be created by 2014.*
"As a veteran myself, I wholeheartedly support this legislation," said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. "Promoting access to higher education isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do for our fighting men and women. It will promote financial security and economic independence and will allow veterans to help build our economy in the same way they have helped to protect our freedoms."
AAUW believes that the G.I. Bill needs to be revised to address the reality our returning troops will face—rising tuition costs, a slowing economy, and a tight job market, which already affect millions of Americans.
"Providing a flexible education benefit is a smart move," said Lisa M. Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations. "The legislation will expand the reach of the benefits, ensuring that a veteran’s spouse or child can realize the dream of a college education, even if the service member forgoes his or her chance to pursue higher education."
Furthermore, AAUW is pleased that the legislation will help the jobless, specifically those whose unemployment benefits have run out; they would get an extension of up to 13 weeks. More than 260,000 jobs have been lost since the beginning of this year, and women have taken a harder hit. Since last March, the number of unemployed women has increased by 20 percent, compared with a 17 percent increase among men.**
"This legislation helps hurting families affected by the economic downtown, and it helps our brave women and men who have served since 9/11," said Maatz. "AAUW strongly urges the president to sign this bill into law, so that its benefits can be felt as quickly as possible."
* Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Projections and Training Data, 2006–07 Edition. http://www.bls.gov/emp/optd/optd001.pdf. Accessed May 7, 2008.
**Majority Staff of Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Taking a Toll: The Effects of Recession on Women. April 2008
