Today, President Bush signed into law the 21st Century G.I. Bill of Rights. In response, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11) issued the following statement.
"Today our nation answered its moral obligation by ensuring the G.I. Bill provides the level of education benefits equivalent to what World War II veterans received when the landmark legislation was originally signed into law.
"The 21st Century G.I. Bill will provide the full cost of tuition at four-year colleges to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The bill also recognizes the sacrifice of our 1.8 million Reserve and National Guard troops by better aligning their educational benefits with their length of service.
"This is the right thing to do for the men and women who put their lives on the line fighting for our country overseas. We spend $10 billion a month on the war in Iraq and it's only right that we commit to serving and honoring our veterans when they return home by easing the cost of college.
"Updating the G.I. Bill will help make our veterans part of the economic recovery, much like the veterans of World War II. For every dollar spent on veteran education benefits a $7 return is generated for our economy."