FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, February 12, 2008 CONTACT: Michael Houston, IAVA (914) 473-8100 or
Fight for New GI Bill Continues: Iraq Vets Join Senators Webb, Hagel
and Lautenberg
Press Conference Wednesday, February 13th at 12:30pm
NEW YORK -Iraq
and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest non-partisan
organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will join a
bipartisan coalition of Senators including Jim Webb (D-VA), Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and members of the nation's leading veterans'
service organizations to call for a comprehensive World War II-style GI Bill
for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the fiscal 2009 budget. The
press conference will take place Wednesday,
February 13th at 12:30pm in the Russell Senate
Office Building,
Room 385.
"Momentum is finally building across America for a new GI Bill. This is something we can and must get done in
Congress this year," said Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA Executive Director. "A World War II-style GI
Bill is the cornerstone of IAVA's newly released 2008 Legislative
Agenda and we are working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to get it
passed this year."
Senators Webb and Hagel last year introduced the "Post-9/11
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2007" (S.22), offering benefits similar
to those called for in the veterans groups' independent budget. The
Webb-Hagel bill seeks to provide America's newest generation of
veterans with a comprehensive World War II-style GI Bill.
Senator Lautenberg, who went to school on the WWII GI Bill,
is a cosponsor of S.22. The bipartisan
bill has attracted widespread support from 32 cosponsors in the Senate and 93
cosponsors in the House.
"Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans
of America is grateful to Senators Webb, Hagel and Lautenberg, themselves
veterans, for their leadership on this critical issue," said Rieckhoff.
Wednesday's press conference falls during IAVA's historic "Storm
the Hill" campaign to move its 2008 Legislative Agenda forward. This week, IAVA veterans from across the
country have already met with more than 39 lawmakers to advocate for a World
War II-style GI Bill. They've made tremendous
progress and the trip continues to gain momentum. Highlights,
including photos, of IAVA storming Capitol Hill, as well as the 2008
Legislative Agenda and newly published in-depth report on the GI Bill are
available at www.iava.org.
Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is the nation's first and largest group
for veterans of the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan. A nonprofit and non-partisan organization,
IAVA represents more than 80,000 veteran members and civilian supporters in all
50 states. To cover tomorrow's press conference or to arrange an interview with
Paul Rieckhoff or any other IAVA member veterans, please contact Michael
Houston at (914) 473-8100 or
. For more information, please visit www.iava.org.
