- June 20, 2024
Senators Carper, Moran, Tester and Boozman Introduce Resolution to Commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Landmark G.I. Bill
Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) introduced a resolution to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, better known as the G.I. Bill. Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 22, 1944, this landmark legislation provided returning World War II veterans with a wide array of educational and housing benefits to ease their transition back to civilian life. This resolution specifically celebrates the transformative impacts of the G.I. Bill, and highlights subsequent legislation, including the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, that has provided generations of American servicemembers with similar benefits.
“As Americans, we have a duty to serve those who serve our country. For 80 years now, the G.I. Bill has helped us live up to that promise by providing our veterans with the resources necessary to build a prosperous life in the country they fought so hard to protect,” said Senator Carper, a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Navy. “The G.I. Bill has been a lifeline in my family for generations. After serving as a Chief Petty Officer in World War II, my father used his G.I. Bill benefits to learn how to become an autobody repairman. And after my three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, it was the G.I. Bill that enabled me to pursue my MBA at the University of Delaware and ultimately have a successful career in public service. I’m proud to join Senators Moran, Tester and Boozman to continue supporting our veterans and recognize the anniversary of this landmark legislation.”
“For 80 years, the G.I. Bill has made certain that veterans receive the benefits they have earned through their service,” said Senator Moran, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. “As the original author of the G.I. Bill, Kansas native Harry W. Colmery, helped millions of servicemembers and veterans gain access to higher education, become home owners and enhance successful career opportunities for those transitioning back into civilian life. I am thankful to my colleagues’ collective efforts over the years to support our nation’s heroes through many expansions of the G.I. Bill and all of the work they do to support veterans in Kansas and across the country.”
“Our veterans stepped up and served with a solemn promise their country would take care of them after their time in uniform,” said Senator Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Ensuring veterans’ access to higher education is a critically important way we honor this promise. And because of the G.I. Bill, generations of veterans have been able to obtain an education and advance their civilian careers. As Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I’ll always fight to protect our student veterans and their hard-earned benefits at universities in Montana and across the country.”
“The G.I. Bill is a significant investment in our servicemembers,” said Senator Boozman. “This landmark law has delivered benefits to veterans and their families for 80 years to help their transition to civilian life. It serves as an important aspect of honoring the commitment we made to the men and women who wear our nation’s uniform and I’m pleased to continue advocating for improvements to expand the education opportunities they have earned.”
Throughout his years in public service, Senator Carper has long worked to support our nation’s servicemembers as they transition to civilian life. Senator Carper supported the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 – better known as the “Forever G.I. Bill” – to ensure that veterans serving after September 11, 2001 could access educational benefits at any point during their lifetime. Senator Carper also led the historic effort to close the 90/10 loophole, which had long incentivized for-profit educational institutions to use aggressive recruiting and deceptive marketing to enroll service members, veterans and other G.I. Bill beneficiaries. As a G.I. Bill beneficiary himself, Senator Carper was proud to finally close the loophole in 2021 through an amendment in the American Rescue Plan.
Senator Carper has led the commemoration of the G.I. Bill’s anniversary for years, and in 2019 on the 75th anniversary, he joined several of his colleagues on the floor of the U.S. Senate to speak about the wide-ranging impacts the G.I. Bill has had on our veterans and their families.
Full text of the resolution is available here.
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