John McCain Doesn't Support Nevada's Troops and Veterans

(LAS VEGAS, NV) - TODAY AS THE SENATE VOTED ON A bi-partisan 21st Century GI Bill to help Nevada's service members and veterans pay for college, one of our presidential candidates and a veteran himself didn't support it AND didn't even show up to cast a vote: John McCain.  

Though McCain says he supports the troops, he has refused to support this bill to help all post-9/11 service members who served on active duty, including the 1.7 million brave men and women who have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, receive educational benefits like those provided to veterans returning from World War II. Instead, McCain has echoed the Bush Administration, claiming the GI Bill will make it harder for the military to retain service members - an argument disproved by a Congressional Budget Office study. [time.com; 5/20/08]

Instead, McCain offered a far weaker bill that would make it harder for service members and veterans in Nevada pay the cost of a state university.  It's no surprise then that veterans groups support the broader BI-PARTISAN GI Bill, not McCain's. Both Democratic presidential candidates voted in support of the bi-partisan bill.

This isn't the first time McCain and Nevada's veterans have been on opposite sides of the same issues. As Time reported this week, according to a nonpartisan study McCain has only voted for veterans funding 30 percent of the time. [time.com; 5/20/08]

"It is unconscionable that John McCain would not support the 21st Century GI Bill," said Nevada Democratic Veterans Chair Elliot Anderson, who is an Afghanistan veteran.  "Our brave service members and veterans deserve the very best, and when they return home to Nevada they should have the ability to afford the tuition at places like the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the University of Nevada, Reno.  

"If McCain is going to talk the talk about supporting Nevada's veterans, he should walk the walk on his promises," Anderson said. "Americans don't want another president who will mislead them on his record just to score some votes, especially when our nation's service members and veterans are involved."

McCain Gets Score of 30 Percent On Veterans Issues.  According to Time, "This is not the first time McCain, who has a proud history of opposing what he views as excessive government spending, has found himself at odds with his fellow veterans on legislation. He's voted for veterans funding bills only 30% of the time, according to a scorecard of roll-call votes put out by the nonpartisan Disabled Americans for America." [time.com; 5/20/08]

McCain Refused To Support Bipartisan Legislation To Reform GI Bill.  "On his campaign plane this afternoon, McCain said he and allies in the Senate are working on an alternative to the bill, but would only support something that included incentives to stay in the military.  'We are working on proposals of our own.  I'm a consistent supporter of educational benefits for the men and women of the military,' McCain said. 'I want to make sure that we have incentives for people to remain in the military as well as for people to join the military.'"  [ABC News, 4/14/2008]

McCain's Proposal Would Only Cover The Average Cost Of Tuition, Room, And Board, Leaving Some Vets Without Adequate Funding.  "For active-duty members, monthly GI Bill benefits would rise Oct. 1 to $1,500, up from the current $1,101, enough to cover the average cost of a four-year public college including room, board, tuition and fees, said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services personnel subcommittee." [Army Times, 4/22/08]

McCain Admits His Plan Is Designed To Keep Troops Serving Longer. "My proposal and others, Senator Graham, Senator Burn, is we'll place incentives for people to stay in the military."  When O'Reilly said, "So the longer you stay, the more you get" McCain responded, "Yes, the more you get, because we want people to stay in. We have to increase the benefits for the men and women who are serving and motivate those to serve."  [Fox News Transcript, "The O'Reilly Factor," 5/8/08]

McCain Said He Wanted To Give Greatest Benefits To Those Who Serve Longest.  "What I want to of course reward the person stays in the military longer with greater incentives to stay in as opposed to someone who only staying a few years because I also want Americans to serve but I also want dedicated Americans to serve as long as possible." McCain also spoke about "incentivizing talented professional men and women to remain in the military and make it a career."  [CNN Live Feed, Town Hall (Rochester, MN), 5/7/08]