Thursday, May 8, 2008 | 12:30 p.m.
WASHINGTON — A proposal to give returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans greater access to college aid through an enhanced GI bill is getting resistance from some fiscally prudent Democrats.
The Hill, a newspaper in the capital, reports today that the proposal, now tacked onto the Iraq war spending bill, could be blocked because it’s not paid for. Democrats added the education bill
The Pentagon had previously complained that a beefed up GI bill may hurt its recruiting effort. The Sun story on the bill is here.
But now some members of the Blue Dogs, an influential group of fiscally conservative Democrats, say the proposal that would cost $720 million over two years should be funded under Democrats pay-as-you-go rules.
The bill would pay the tuition costs of the most expensive state school for returning vets, as well as a housing and books stipend, to help vets readjust to civilian life. Current education benefits are much less — about $1,100 a month.
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