By BILLY HOUSE
Media General News Service
Published: May 7, 2008

WASHINGTON - Two approaches at expanding and modernizing educational benefits to military veterans through a new GI bill are clashing in both the U.S. House and Senate.

Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla., introduced a House bill this week that mirrors an approach introduced in the Senate by GOP Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Burr of North Carolina.

But Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia had already proposed a bill that has the backing thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

Webb’s approach has the support from a bipartisan majority of House members and senators.

The Pentagon, McCain, Putnam and some other Republicans in Congress say that Webb’s approach goes beyond rewarding military service to actually creating incentives to leave military service.

The Graham-McCain-Burr bill is depicted as being structured in such a way to kick in additional rewards for longer service. The greatest benefits - including giving allowing the transfer of some educational benefits to family members - would be extended to those who remained in service at least six years.

The current GI Bill costs about $2.2 billion a year. An updated version is expected to bring those costs closer to $4 billion a year.

The issue is likely to be considered as part of the supplemental war funding bill the House plans to take up, possibly as early as this week. President Bush has requested $108 billion in extra war funding.

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida, the lead Republican sponsor of a House version of Webb’s bill, believes the Webb approach takes care of the Guard and Reserve better, said her spokesman, Charlie Keller. He also noted that the Webb approach also takes into account the cost of the highest tuition at a public college in a state in determining the amount of tuition a service member can receive there, instead of the setting a specific figure.

As for the argument that Webb’s bill creates incentives to leave the military, Brown-Waite "does not buy that or really understand it," said Keller.

Such benefits help entice people to join the military, and "if you can’t recruit them in the first place, you don’t have to worry about them leaving," he said.

Reporter Billy House can be reached at or at 1 (202) 662-7673.

Here are a few of the differences in the two bills, according to a Senate staff analysis:

Amount of benefits for active-duty regular component members:

McCain-Graham-Burr:

After 3 years of active duty, provides maximum monthly benefit of $1,500 plus $500 per year for books. After 12 years of active duty, provides maximum monthly benefit of $2,000 (staged in by 2011) plus $500 per year for books.

Webb bill:

Provides three possible payments (tuition and fees, housing, and books).The total amount will depend on a multitude of factors, including the number of days served on active duty after Sept. 11, 2001, home zip code, tuition and fees charged by the school the veteran attends, tuition and fees charged by the most expensive public college in the same state, and whether the veteran goes to school on-line or on campus.

Amount of benefits for Guard/Reserves activated after Sept. 11, 2001

McCain-Graham-Burr:

Provides maximum monthly benefit of $1,200 after two continuous years of service or three total years of service. Provides maximum monthly benefit of $1,600 (staged in by 2011) after 12 years of aggregate service.

Webb bill:

Provides three possible payments (tuition and fees, housing, and books). The total amount will depend on a number of factors, including the number of days served on active duty after Sept. 11, 2001, home zip code, tuition and fees charged by the school the veteran attends, tuition and fees charged by the most expensive public college in the same state, and whether the veteran goes to school on-line or on campus.

Amount of benefits for Guard/Reserves not activated since Sept. 11, 2001

McCain-Graham-Burr:

Doubles the current benefit to $634.

Webb bill:

No increase in benefits, so maximum rate is $317 as under current law.

Amount of benefits that will be transferable to a spouse or children

McCain-Graham-Burr:

Service members could transfer up to 18 months of benefits after 6 years of service and 36 months of benefits after 12 years of service.

Webb bill:

None

Amount of benefits that may be used to repay student loans

McCain-Graham-Burr:

Repays up to $6,000 in student loans per year for active duty service members.

Webb bill:

None

Amount of matching funds that the Department of Veterans Affairs will provide

McCain-Graham-Burr:

Matches dollar for dollar any contribution schools provide for a veteran’s education, up to $3,000

Webb bill:

Dollar-for-dollar match with school (even if it exceeds how much the veteran needs to attend school debt-free).