FOR RELEASE: June 14, 2001

EVANS CALLS SMITH COMMENTS UNFORTUNATE,
DECISION TO DENY VOTE ON EVANS’ GI BILL AMENDMENT REGRETTABLE 

Washington, DC - Congressman Lane Evans (D-IL), senior Democratic Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said today that reported comments by Congressman Chris Smith, the panel’s chairman, that Evans’ legislation to boost education benefits for veterans is purely political are “unfortunate and ill-considered.”  “I’m frankly very disappointed,” Evans said.  “I have publicly applauded Chairman Smith’s early leadership on veterans issues,” Evans continued, “I have considered our working relationship on veterans to be positive.” Smith’s comments were reported Thursday morning in the CQ Daily Monitor.  

On Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Benefits was scheduled to markup veterans’ education legislation.  After Evans, a member of the Benefits Subcommittee, indicated he planned to offer his legislation, H.R. 320, as an amendment, the markup was promptly cancelled.         

Evans’ legislation is based on the recommendations of the Congressional Commission on Servicemembers and Veterans Transition Assistance, also known as the Principi Commission.  Tony Principi, now the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, served as Chairman of the Commission.  Evans’ legislation currently has 147 cosponsors and virtually identical legislation was introduced in the 106^th Congress by Evans and the bill’s co-author, Congressman John Dingell.         

“My sole interest is and will continue to be enacting the best possible veterans education policy.  It’s unfortunate that subcommittee members were denied the opportunity to vote up or down on H.R. 320 this week.  It’s also regrettable for our men and women in uniform,” Evans said.  Evans hoped the subcommittee markup would be rescheduled soon and policy differences will be the focus of future comments. 

In exchange for four years of service, H.R. 320 would provide servicemembers and veterans with a benefit covering the full cost of tuition, fees and books and provide a subsistence allowance.  Those opting for a shorter enlistment or now enrolled in the current veterans education program would earn a basic monthly benefit of $900.  H.R. 320 would also end the practice of requiring military recruits to pay $1,200 in order to participate in the Montgomery GI Bill program. 

-30-
Back to Press Releases