JEANNE SHAHEEN DISCUSSES 21ST CENTURY G.I. BILL WITH VETERANS IN MANCHESTER

By Brian Lawson, PolitickerNH.com Reporter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2008

CONTACT:
Kate Bedingfield
603 782 4613 (o)/603 361 8036 (c)/ kbedingfield@jeanneshaheen.org

Caitlin Legacki
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clegacki@jeanneshaheen.org

JEANNE SHAHEEN DISCUSSES 21ST CENTURY G.I. BILL WITH VETERANS IN MANCHESTER

(Manchester, NH) —Former Governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen discussed today the need for a 21st Century G.I. Bill like the one proposed by Virginia Senator Jim Webb with New Hampshire veterans at a roundtable discussion at Southern New Hampshire University. Shaheen believes we should honor our veterans for their service by providing them with full educational benefits.

"It is a fundamental American value that we stand by our soldiers who risk and sacrifice so much for us," Shaheen said. "In the 1940s, the first G.I. Bill helped transform American society as soldiers returned from World War II. The World War II G.I. bill paid for veterans' tuition, books, fees, a monthly stipend, and other training costs."

"The current G.I. Bill didn't provide enough money for me to afford my college education," said Ryan Gray, former sergeant in the US Marine Corps and veteran of the Iraq war who participated in the roundtable. "I also couldn't use the current GI Bill to pay for graduate school to become a teacher. I had to go to the VA to ask for financial help and I carried student loans."

"We need to update the G.I. Bill and support our newest generation of veterans," Shaheen said. "Senator Webb, a veteran, has put forth a new GI Bill for the 21st Century that would increase the amount of financial support for education to our veterans and ensure that National Guard and Reservists receive equal treatment. I believe that Congress should pass this bill as soon as possible."

Shaheen, whose father, husband and son-in-law have served in America's armed forces, believes we must provide our newest generation of veterans with the full education benefits they need, and we must give active duty Guard and Reservists the same benefits available to full-time servicemen and women.

The Senate is expected to vote on Webb's 21st Century G.I. Bill this week.

For more information, please visit www.JeanneShaheen.org <http://www.JeanneShaheen.org> .

BRIAN LAWSON is a PolitickerNH.com Reporter and can be reached via email at brian.lawson@politickernh.com.

Related topics: Jim Webb, Jeanne Shaheen, campaign event, Webb GI bill