House Passes New GI Bill

WASHINGTON - A long-delayed Iraq war funding bill sailed through the House of Representatives on Thursday along with historic increases in college aid for returning troops and help for U.S. unemployed and flood victims of the American Midwest.

Republican allies of President George W. Bush provided the winning margin in a 268-155 vote to provide $162 billion to pay for U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan well into next year.

Nevertheless, Democrats opposed to the war used the Iraq funding bill as an engine to drive past White House resistance a sweeping revision to GI Bill college benefits for returning veterans and a 13-week extension of unemployment checks for those whose benefits have run out.

Related Podcast: Behind the New GI Bill

Resource: Military.com's New GI Bill Overview

Lawmakers separately approved the domestic add-ons by a 416-12 vote, sending the combined bill to the Senate for a vote next week. The White House issued a statement supporting the legislation.

The measure also provides a quick $2.7 billion infusion of emergency flood relief for the Midwest, although more is expected to be needed to deal with the major losses in Iowa, Illinois and other states.

The bill would bring to more than $650 billion the amount provided by Congress for the war in Iraq since U.S.-led troops invaded five years ago. Nearly $200 billion in additional funding has gone to operations in Afghanistan, according to congressional analysts.

The plan accepted by the House also would give Bush's successor several months to set Iraq policy after taking office in January, and it spares lawmakers the need and political embarrassment to cast more war-funding votes closer to the Nov. 4 Election Day.

"The way it's been set up now, whoever ... is president will have a few months to think through how we are going to extricate ourselves," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, a Democrat and major negotiator on the package.

The relatively brief debate featured only glimpses of the bitterness that consumed Congress last year as the new Democratic majority tried and failed to force troop withdrawals and other limits on Bush's ability to conduct the war. Most war opponents expressed frustration and a sense of resignation at having to yield to the lame duck president.

"The president basically gets a blank check to dump this war on the next president," said Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern. "I was hoping George Bush would end his war while he's president."

Republicans cited progress in Iraq since Bush reinforced troop levels last year to create stability in the devastated nation.

"Our troops have made tremendous gains, and forcing them to reverse course - as most in the Democratic majority want them to do - would be both irresponsible and reckless," said the Republican minority leader, Rep. John Boehner.

The new GI Bill essentially would guarantee full scholarship at in-state public universities, along with monthly housing stipends, for people who serve in the military for at least three years. It is aimed at replicating the benefits awarded veterans of World War II and more than doubles the value of the benefit, from $40,000 today to $90,000.

The GI Bill measure, offered by Democratic Sen. Jim Webb, a Vietnam War veteran, had such extraordinary support from both Democrats and Republicans that White House objections were easily overridden.

Administration representatives sought to curb its costs in private talks, Obey said. Instead, the chief concession by Democrats was to add an administration-backed plan, costing $10 billion over 10 years, to allow veterans to transfer their benefits to their spouse or a child.

The White House tried much harder to kill the effort to extend unemployment benefits as part of the war funding bill. Just two weeks ago, it appeared the administration probably would prevail. But after the unemployment rate jumped a one-half of a percentage point to a nationwide average of 5.5 percent, House Democrats engineered a veto-proof tally in support of the 13-week extension.

Use your GI Bill before time runs out!