The House VA Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity called a special hearing today for an update on the August 1 implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. AMVETS was on hand at the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill as VA administrators assures Congress that the new benefits will roll out on time.
To view video of today's hearing, Click Here. To view a list witnesses or to read transcripts of their testimony, Click Here.
During the hearing, VBA's Director of Education Services Keith Wilson reiterated that VA has met their benchmarks along the way and anticipates timely payment of the new G.I. Bill benefits by August 1, warning that payment could only be delayed by "legislative changes this late in the game."
Over the last few weeks, certain inequities in the current version of Chapter 33 had caught the attention of several legislators. Fortunately, many have decided to hold off on addressing these concerns until after the new G.I. Bill takes effect.
VA officials also clarified that the department continues to compile its Yellow Ribbon agreements from private colleges and universities across the country. To date, more than 700 schools have signed more than 3,000 individual agreements. VA assured the committee that an accurate, up-to-date list should be available on the VA's Web site next week.
During the hearing, VA also delivered a presentation on the long term IT solution for implementing the G.I. Bill, an ongoing process that the veterans community and Congress continue to monitor closely.
As implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill draws closer, check back with American Veteran Online for updates.
(Photo: Rep. Harry Teague (D-N.M.), acting chairman for today's hearing before the House VA Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, and Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.), ranking member, listen to testimony from the VA on this summer's implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)
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"Over the last few weeks, certain inequities in the current version of Chapter 33 had caught the attention of several legislators. Fortunately, many have decided to hold off on addressing these concerns until after the new G.I. Bill takes effect."
ReplyDeleteWhich legislators? And, what concerns are they holding off on addressing? Send me an email at jebber37@gmail.com. Thanks.
It was Rep. McKeon from Califronia, who introduced a bill. Chairman Filner had also discussed. Fortunately, the glitch has been "fixed" by an Obama Administration memo, according to Military Times:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/08/military_gibill_california_080509w/
Now we're worried about on-time payments across the country as a result of a surge in applications. We'll address that in-depth in the coming days, as we sort it out.