Rep. Matheson Weighs in on GI Bill
None by Jeff Robinson
(KCPW News) The fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, of which Utah Congressman Jim Matheson is a member, were slammed last week for opposing a new GI Bill that would pay full tuition for veterans to attend public universities. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it would cost nearly $52 billion for the next 10 years. Matheson says he believes that updating the GI Bill is long overdue, but adds that we owe it to the veterans to make sure it is paid for with other revenues or offsets, instead of contributing to the national debt."If it's not paid for, then it's not guaranteed it's going to happen in the future," said the congressman. "If this legislation goes through in a way where it's increasing more debt, then are we really making a long-term commitment to our veterans? Can they really rely on this looking out in the future? If we keep creating greater and greater debt, at some point, programs are going to get put back on the chopping block. I think if we really want to have certainty, we ought to pay for this up front."
The congressman believes that the House of Representatives will come together and figure out how to offset the cost of the bill, but says he's not sure about the Senate. Matheson claims the Senate has not shown as much fiscal responsibility as the House.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2009 KCPW
1. Concerned Utah Veteran said:
That is funny because Congressman Matheson voted against the GI-Bill when it had an offset? See the roll call votes of amendment three of the supplemental. So how he is arguing for a pay for now is beyond me. Matheson is a chump and does not support veterans. He sent them to war and he slapped hands with big business over supporting the troops. He was one of seven democrats, and the only bluedog, that voted against the GI-Bill with the offset. Chump
2. Concerned Utah Veteran said:
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 330(Democrats in roman; Republicans in italic; Independents underlined)
H R 2642 YEA-AND-NAY 15-May-2008 3:45 PM QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Senate Amendment With Amendment No. 3 BILL TITLE: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
Yeas Nays PRES NV Democratic 224 7 4 Republican 32 159 8 Independent TOTALS 256 166 12
---- YEAS 256 ---
AbercrombieAckermanAllenAltmireAndrewsArcuriBacaBairdBaldwinBarrowBecerraBerkleyBermanBerryBishop (GA)Bishop (NY)BlumenauerBoswellBoucherBoyd (FL)Boyda (KS)Brady (PA)Braley (IA)Brown, CorrineButterfieldBuyerCapitoCappsCapuanoCardozaCarnahanCarneyCarsonCastleCastorCazayouxChandlerClarkeClayCleaverClyburnCohenConyersCooperCostaCostelloCourtneyCramerCrowleyCuellarCummingsDavis (AL)Davis (CA)Davis (IL)Davis, LincolnDeFazioDelahuntDeLauroDentDicksDingellDoggettDoyleEdwardsEllisonEmanuelEmersonEngelEnglish (PA)EshooEtheridgeFarrFattahFilnerFortenberryFossellaFosterFrank (MA)GiffordsGilchrestGonzalezGordonGreen, AlGreen, GeneGrijalvaGutierrez Hall (NY)HareHarmanHastings (FL)HayesHerseth SandlinHigginsHillHincheyHinojosaHironoHodesHoldenHoltHondaHooleyHoyerInsleeIsraelJackson (IL)Jackson-Lee (TX)JeffersonJohnson (GA)Johnson (IL)Johnson, E. B.Jones (NC)Jones (OH)KagenKanjorskiKapturKennedyKildeeKilpatrickKindKing (NY)KirkKlein (FL)KnollenbergKucinichLaHoodLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LaTouretteLeeLevinLewis (GA)LipinskiLoBiondoLoebsackLofgren, ZoeLoweyLynchMarkeyMarshallMatsuiMcCarthy (NY)McCollum (MN)McDermottMcGovernMcHughMcIntyreMcNerneyMcNultyMeek (FL)Meeks (NY)MelanconMichaudMiller (MI)Miller (NC)Miller, GeorgeMitchellMollohanMoore (KS)Moore (WI)Moran (VA)Murphy (CT)Murphy, PatrickMurphy, TimMurthaNadlerNapolitanoNeal (MA)OberstarObeyOlver OrtizPallonePascrellPastorPaynePelosiPerlmutterPeterson (MN)PetriPlattsPomeroyPorterPrice (NC)RahallRamstadRangelRenziReyesRichardsonRodriguezRos-LehtinenRossRothmanRoybal-AllardRuppersbergerRyan (OH)SalazarSánchez, Linda T.Sanchez, LorettaSarbanesSchakowskySchiffSchwartzScott (GA)Scott (VA)SerranoSestakShaysShea-PorterShermanShulerSiresSkeltonSlaughterSmith (NJ)Smith (WA)SnyderSolisSpaceSpeierSprattStarkStupakSuttonTannerTauscherTaylorThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)TierneyTownsTsongasUdall (CO)Udall (NM)UptonVan HollenVelázquezViscloskyWalz (MN)Wasserman SchultzWatersWatsonWattWaxmanWeinerWelch (VT)WexlerWhitfield (KY)Wilson (OH)WoolseyWuWynnYarmuthYoung (AK)
---- NAYS 166 ---
AderholtAkinAlexanderBachmannBachusBarrett (SC)Bartlett (MD)Barton (TX)BeanBiggertBilbrayBilirakisBishop (UT)BlackburnBluntBoehnerBonnerBoozmanBorenBoustanyBrady (TX)Broun (GA)Brown (SC)Brown-Waite, GinnyBuchananBurgessBurton (IN)CalvertCamp (MI)CannonCantorCarterChabotCobleCole (OK)ConawayCubinCulbersonDavis (KY)Davis, DavidDavis, TomDeal (GA)Diaz-Balart, L.Diaz-Balart, M.DonnellyDoolittleDrakeDreierDuncanEhlersEllsworthEverettFallinFeeneyFergusonFlake ForbesFoxxFranks (AZ)FrelinghuysenGalleglyGarrett (NJ)GingreyGohmertGoodeGoodlatteGrangerGravesHall (TX)Hastings (WA)HellerHensarlingHergerHobsonHoekstraHunterInglis (SC)IssaJohnson, SamJordanKellerKing (IA)KingstonKline (MN)Kuhl (NY)LambornLampsonLathamLattaLewis (CA)LinderLucasLungren, Daniel E.Mahoney (FL)ManzulloMarchantMathesonMcCarthy (CA)McCaul (TX)McCotterMcCreryMcHenryMcKeonMcMorris RodgersMicaMiller (FL)Miller, GaryMoran (KS)MusgraveNeugebauerNunesPaul PearcePencePeterson (PA)PickeringPittsPoePrice (GA)Pryce (OH)PutnamRadanovichRegulaRehbergReichertReynoldsRogers (AL)Rogers (KY)Rogers (MI)RohrabacherRoskamRoyceRyan (WI)SaliSaxtonScaliseSchmidtSensenbrennerSessionsShadeggShimkusShusterSimpsonSmith (NE)Smith (TX)SouderStearnsSullivanTancredoTerryThornberryTiahrtTiberiTurnerWalbergWalden (OR)Walsh (NY)WampWeldon (FL)WellerWestmorelandWilson (NM)Wilson (SC)Wittman (VA)WolfYoung (FL)