The overall war spending bill proposal calls for $163 billion to fight the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, while the GI Bill add-on expects to raise $54 billion over the next 10 years through the surtax. The bill would also allow veterans 15 years to use the benefits, whereas currently the limit is 10 years.
The White House weighed in with an official veto promise Thursday that also attacked the Democratic plan for increasing taxes.
“The president has been clear that tax increases are unacceptable,” the White House statement said.
In the Senate Wednesday, Sen. McCain’s proposal for a GI Bill overhaul lost in a 55-42 vote to a counter proposal by Sen. Jim Webb. MSNBC summarized the differences between the two:
After the vote, McCain had this reaction [via ABC News]:
Talk of McCain’s proposal also entered the presidential campaigns when Barack Obama criticized his potential opponent’s unwillingness to expand more veterans benefits. McCain’s camp countered by saying it was absurd for Obama to criticize McCain’s commitment to veterans. In Obama’s words [via USA Today]:
Also in military benefits news, the House Armed Services Committee approved next year’s defense spending bill which includes a 3.9 percent pay raise for members of the military.
