McCain Now Supports GI Bill, War Funding Bill

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McCain Now Supports GI Bill, War Funding Bill

June 19, 2008 4:12 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf reports: Sen. John McCain did not vote last month when Senators passed their version of a war funding emergency supplemental. But he said the bill being considered then was overloaded with funding for non-war related projects and he objected to a sweeping new benefit for veterans to get the equivalent of state college tuition and a living stipend after only a few years service because he worried it would affect military retention rates.

But, with the addition of a clause allowing service members to transfer their benefits to family members, McCain now supports the 21st Century Bill of Rights, the proposal to give substantially more benefits to veterans for college after their service in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And he'll support a deal between the White House and House Democrats to fund the war along with $21 billion in domestic spending.

In a written statement from his Senate office -- while he never explicitly says he'll vote for it -- the Arizona Republican praises a deal between White House and Congressional negotiators for a war funding bill that includes the GI Bill, and $21 billion in non-war-related funding like a three month extension of unemployment benefits and emergency funding for Katrina and Midwest flood relief.

Cut out of the bill are billions in low income heating fuel assistance and grants for state and local law enforcement agencies. Last month, he called a similar but more expensive version of the supplemental war funding bill "bloated" and "loaded down with extraneous provisions unrelated to the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Today, McCain's Senate office released a written statement which read:

“I am pleased an agreement has finally been reached to fund our troops... Fortunately, it is reported that an agreement between the House, Senate, and Administration is imminent, and urgently needed funding will be enacted shortly not only to aid our troops, but to fund several emergencies throughout our nation, particularly in the Midwest. We need to provide federal assistance to these flood damaged communities as soon as possible."

When the Senate had considered its version of the war supplemental, McCain had argued, along with the White House and the Pentagon, that the new GI Bill, which got support from a veto-proof majority of Senators, would encourage service members to leave the military. He had offered a less generous counterproposal that would have given service members a much smaller credit for college and given better benefits to people who served longer.

It would also have allowed veterans to transfer their benefits to family members. This last point is addressed in the compromise with a clause to allow veterans to transfer their benefits. But the benefits themselves will be at the higher level endorsed by Sens. Jim Webb, D-VA, Chuck Hagel, R-Neb, and John Warner, R-VA.

"That has always been my primary concern with respect to the Webb bill, and it is essential that we continue to act decisively to encourage military service and ensure the well being of our All Volunteer Force," McCain said in the written statement.

"With the addition of the transferability provisions sought by Senators Graham, Burr, myself and others to give service members the right to transfer earned G.I. Bill benefits to spouses and children, we will have achieved in offering vastly improved educational benefit while also offering incentives for continued service by the most capable, experienced NCO’s and officers. Our courageous NCO’s and officers called for this option, and I believe that its inclusion in this bill will help maintain retention levels in all the Services where it needs to be for the well being of the All Volunteer Force and our Nation.”

It is likely that McCain's opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, will oppose the final supplemental funding bill because it does not include a binding requirement for the phased withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Obama has publicly supported the GI Bill proposal.

The White House supports the new supplemental bill including the GI Bill portion, and that presumably means the Pentagon agrees with it too.

June 19, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (21)

User Comments

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McCain's opposition to the GI Bill has always seemed bizaare to me... especially in light of his status as a POW and disabled vet. The Dood gets 56K a year in diability payments, well deserved payments that is.

I can't see why he wouldn't want these GI benefits to be extended to the troops who are fighting the very war that he says is so essential to our nation's safety.

Oh well. He gets it now and that should count for something, I guess, maybe.

Posted by: The Commander Guy | Jun 19, 2008 4:22:10 PM

Captain Flip Flop is amazing!!!

Posted by: Jim | Jun 19, 2008 4:35:54 PM

McSame has made everybody to believe that he knows issues re military, national security and wars, but this guy is really confused and he has no good judgement about issues in general and specifically military, wars and NS issues. FLIP-FLOP again, he deserves to be called Mr. McFlip-Flop. God save America from McSame. God bless America and God bless Obama. OBAMA08.

Posted by: BKMC | Jun 19, 2008 4:38:51 PM

Now McFlip agrees McFlop???
That's great news!!!!!!!

Posted by: Mark Webb | Jun 19, 2008 4:39:06 PM

Mc Cain opposed the bill because he had is OWN BILL on the floor.

the CORRUPT LIBERAL MEDIA ran with the headline, failing to mention that fact.

Now that the adjustments have been made, its reasonable.

Obama wants to simply BRIBE everyone with free money.

No thought to how to pay for it, or its aaffect on the military as a whole.

Just BRIBE EM .

Mc Cain should just offer a million bucks to every american citizen if they vote for him.

Posted by: NED | Jun 19, 2008 4:40:17 PM

McCain has FLIP FLOPPED so much. I am surprised that Obama hasn't called him on it.

Posted by: Sandy | Jun 19, 2008 4:41:57 PM

I caught an odd fish yesterday.

I just couldn't identify it.

But when I pulled it into the boat,it flipped and it flopped and it flipped and it flopped.

I decided to call it a McCain.

Posted by: Fish Tales | Jun 19, 2008 4:44:29 PM

Ned you are right. Mc had a better bill that included family members as beneficiaries for transferred education benefits. It also had better overall benefits for service members. The Dems always fail to tell Americans of the total facts.
Dem for McCain!

Posted by: rey | Jun 19, 2008 4:44:35 PM

McCain fips flops?

What a joke - Obama signed an agreement to take public financing and gave his personal word to McCain that he would do just that - But of course this is the same man who would proudly stand on a stage with a man who would proudly stand on the American flag - a man who would throw his minister and mentor away like a piece of garbage when it served his own selfish ambition. The man is a discrace.

Posted by: oldspice | Jun 19, 2008 4:47:06 PM

rey and ned: sorry my brother is Iowa national guard and he thinks mccain has no clue. I must agree.

People need to be very careful with mccain, he is another bush, he will say and do anything for your vote tell he is in office. Then poof!!!! they are gone.

Posted by: Becky | Jun 19, 2008 4:54:15 PM

Man this guy makes Kerry look like a rookie! We'll call him captain FLOP!

Posted by: Joe | Jun 19, 2008 5:11:15 PM

Mccains bill that he originally supported as an alternative did not have better benefits than the one the democrats offered up.In fact it wasnt even close.

Posted by: Tony | Jun 19, 2008 5:13:00 PM

But Captian Flop will be in court soon for breaking campain finace laws.

Posted by: Joe | Jun 19, 2008 5:13:23 PM

I think McCain's new bill makes a lot of sense, which addressed his biggest concern of retaining experienced officers by making the benefits transferable to family members.

Posted by: george | Jun 19, 2008 5:27:04 PM

Flip Flop!

Posted by: Paul | Jun 19, 2008 5:40:46 PM

"Sen. Barack Obama, will oppose the final supplemental funding bill "

What part of Obama NOT supporting veterans, do some of you not get. When McCain opposed the bill because of pork, liberals said he opposed veterans.

Now that Obama doesn't support the funding bill, why doesn't he get labeled with "opposing veterans"?

Obama does NOT support veterans and his final view on this proves that point.

Posted by: MikeD | Jun 19, 2008 9:56:56 PM

Keep lying MikeD you sack of trash. You are a lying disgrace to the Marine Corps.!!!

Posted by: USMarine1171 | Jun 20, 2008 12:35:25 AM

You have to understand where McCain is coming from. I know tons of my active-duty peers who- after years of TRAINING, not just serving- wouldn't think twice about re-enlisting and would instead get out and use the benefits. That is why he suggested instead transferring the benefits to spouses/children. And regardless what people say (like the gentleman above me) it is NOT CHEAP for spouses to go to college. Both my husband and I work, and it's still hard to pay for college for both of us. Active duty has 100% UP TO a certain cap- after that you're on your own until the next fiscal year. So if I choose an expensive school or take too many classes, I have to pay for the difference- all the while supporting an ever-growing family on junior enlisted pay. Just remember, everyone- education is a benefit, not a RIGHT. If you want it, work for it. It would be nice to see this thing go through, though...

Posted by: Stef | Jun 24, 2008 4:08:59 PM

McCain was never against the GI Bill. He held out to have to have the benefits availbe to spouses and children. You never read about this is in the media or hear about it on the network news. He also wanted to get rid of all the extra stuff written in the original bill that didn't pertain to the subject matter. People need to stop reading major newspapers and listening to network news. You are not getting the correct information. You have to really be a studier or student of what is happening to be able to dig in and find out what is really happening. That's not right. The masses need to be able to hear unbiased news reports.

Posted by: Susan | Jun 25, 2008 5:15:46 PM

Who knows what he's for, he misses every important vote so he doesn't really have to take a stand on anything. Is that the kind of leader we want? He doesn't even work weekends, great another vacation president.

Posted by: Matt | Jun 28, 2008 3:47:24 AM

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