Las Vegas Sun

February 12, 2012

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Letter to the editor:

Reid mindful of veterans’ interests

Elliot Anderson, Las Vegas

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.

Starting later this week, an enhanced GI Bill, known as the “Post- 9/11 GI Bill,” will go into effect for our veterans who have served after Sept. 11, 2001.

As undergraduate tuition has jumped across the country (and recently here in Nevada), under the previously used Montgomery GI Bill, payments to veterans would have remained relatively the same — about $1,200 to $1,500 a month.

This amount was barely adequate to pay for even a semester’s worth of education at most schools. Increasing the benefit faced opposition from many Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, and a veto threat from President George W. Bush.

Leading the effort to get the necessary votes on the bill, at a very difficult time, was our senior senator, Harry Reid. As Senate majority leader, he was able to twist enough arms to make passage of this bill possible in 2008, garnering an amazing 75 votes of 100 in a then-politically polarized Senate.

Though everyone talks about his support for veterans, it is not often people put their money where their mouths are. Sen. Reid is a person who shows his support with action, not just with words. America’s veterans are better off because of him.

The writer is an Afghanistan war veteran who serves as Nevada state captain of VoteVets.org. The group, made up of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, focuses on advocacy on issues involving troops and veterans.

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