October 10, 1974
Page 35071
VIETNAM VETERANS EDUCATION
Mr. MATHIAS. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I am informed that the House of Representatives has just this afternoon passed unanimously the legislation presented by House and Senate conferees to amend the GI bill to increase veterans education benefits.
To those of us who have been fighting for these increases over the past year, and although this bill is the result of many compromises and disappointments along the way, we are pleased to see the passage of this measure – a measure which the entire House of Representatives present today could support. Just last week, I initiated a letter to Senator HARTKE with the signatures of 31 other Senators who had supported the original Senate-passed bill, urging his committee's swift report of strong legislation to the Senate and to expedite the passage of a strong, supportive bill for all our veterans who are finding it increasingly difficult to pursue the education we promised them.
At the end of my remarks, I would like to submit for the RECORD a copy of that letter for the information and interest of all my colleagues. I am confident that reading this letter of encouragement and support, and by the Senate's passage of this conference report today, the President will realize the deep desire of the country and its representatives in Government that this bill be enacted as soon as possible.
Passage of this legislation today, of course, will not end our quest for equitable treatment for Vietnam veterans in search of adequate education and training opportunities. In the near future, I intend to sponsor legislation providing a full 45 months entitlement for all Vietnam-era veterans, not merely for those pursuing undergraduate studies as provided in the bill before us today. In addition, I remain firmly committed to the enactment of a program of direct tuition assistance to equalize the great variations in tuition costs from State to State and within each State.
But, in the meantime, it is my greatest concern that the Senate act positively and immediately to send this bill to the President with the assurance that it is the desire of both Houses of Congress that he sign this bill into law as soon as it is sent to the White House.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the joint letter signed by 31 of my colleagues be printed at this point in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows
U.S. SENATE,
Washington, D.C.,
September 23, 1974.
Hon. VANCE HARTKE,
Chairman,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
U.S. Senate,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: As strong supporters of an adequate program of educational benefits for Vietnam veterans, we were most distressed by the action of the House of Representatives prior to the Labor Day recess which blocked enactment of the conference report on the Vietnam-Era Veterans Education bill passed unanimously by the Senate on August 21.
We firmly believe that the final conference agreement represented a responsible compromise between the House- and Senate-passed bills, despite our strong regret that a program of direct tuition assistance was not ultimately included. You and your fellow Senate conferees are to be commended for your diligent efforts in that regard.
However, now that this agreement has been blocked in the House by an unexpected point of order and subsequent passage of a substitute bill which is clearly inadequate, we are convinced that prompt and decisive Senate action must be taken.
We are aware that some have argued that the original conference report might be "inflationary."
We must point out, however, that Vietnam veterans have already paid their dues. Indeed, the Federal Treasury has already been saved literally hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of the long delays which have prevented proposed increases from being enacted sooner. Further sacrifice on their part is simply unacceptable, especially at a time when steps are already under
way to heal the wounds of those who chose not to fight in the Vietnam War.
For these reasons, we believe it is essential that the Senate take immediate steps to speed toward enactment a program of educational benefits for Vietnam-era veterans which is at least as generous as the original conference report, and to implement it retroactively to the start of the current academic year.
To this end, we propose that the Senate immediately re-pass the original Senate-passed bill, S. 2784, with one amendment: a change in the subsistence rate increase from 18 to 23%. Such Senate action would allow you to return to conference with the House and reach precisely the same agreement as has already been approved, with a minimum of time-consuming renegotiation, and would moot any point of order on the House floor.
We are confident that if the full House is given an opportunity to vote on the original conference report – an opportunity denied by last month's point of order – it will pass overwhelmingly and be signed into law by the President.
If the House conferees are unwilling to hold to their original agreement, of course, thus making prompt enactment impossible, we would then urge you to press as firmly as possible for the entire range of Senate-passed provisions, including the much-needed tuition grant program.
You may be sure that you will continue to have our strong support of your efforts to achieve these goals, and that we stand ready to provide you any assistance you require towards this end.
Sincerely,
Daniel K. Inouye, Thomas F. Eagleton, Edward W. Brooke, Frank Church, Charles McC. Mathias, Jr., Robert Dole, Richard C. Schweiker, Philip A. Hart, Mike Mansfield, Warren G. Magnuson, Lee Metcalf, John 0. Pastore, James Abourezk, Gaylord Nelson, Abraham Ribicoff, Harrison A. Williams, Robert Taft, Jr., George S. McGovern, Edward J. Gurney, Walter F. Mondale, Henry M. Jackson, Mike Gravel, Gale McGee, Jacob K. Javits, John V. Tunney, Edmund S. Muskie, Hubert H. Humphrey, Frank E. Moss, J. Glenn Beall, Jr., Joseph M.
Montoya, Milton R. Young, Dick Clark.
U.S. Senators.