Expansion of educational benefits for veterans and unemployment benefits for jobless Americans are included in Iraq/Afghanistan funding supplemental package.

Congressman Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, joined a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in passing legislation that would dramatically expand educational benefits for veterans and also extend unemployment benefits for jobless Americans. These measures were included in the Iraq/Afghanistan Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, which would provide $161.8 billion to fund ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill will now proceed to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

"Our veterans have made immeasurable sacrifices for our country, and we have an obligation to invest in their future and transition to civilian life," said Congressman Reyes. "The current educational benefits are insufficient, and fund only part of today's college tuition costs. This historic 21st century GI bill would fully cover the cost of tuition at in-state public schools."

Under the new GI bill, servicemembers returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, who have served three years on active duty since September 11, would receive benefits to cover the costs of a four-year education up to the level of the most expensive in-state public school, along with a stipend for housing, books and other expenses. The bill also extends educational benefits to the National Guard and Reserve. Texas has the highest number of soldiers (over 213,000) that have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since September 11. Currently, about 35,000 Texas troops are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Under the current law, veterans education benefits cover only about 70 percent of the cost of a public college education and only 30 percent of the cost for a private college education. The legislation also allows veterans to transfer unused benefits to their families.

The new GI bill is broadly supported by major veterans' organizations, including the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

The supplemental appropriations measure would also extend unemployment benefits for jobless Americans. The bill would provide up to 13 additional weeks of unemployment benefits to jobless individuals, many of whom are nearing the current 26-week limit. Over 3.8 million unemployed Americans are expected to benefit from this extension.

For the fifth straight month, the economy has lost jobs and the U.S. unemployment rate rose from 5.0% in April to 5.5% in May. The economy has lost nearly 325,000 jobs this year.

The new GI bill and extension of employment benefits are the latest efforts by the Democrat-led Congress to stimulate the economy. The original GI bill sparked economic growth and expansion after World War II. The Congressional Budget Office also recently determined that extending unemployment benefits is one of the most cost-effective and fast-acting ways to stimulate the economy because the money is quickly reinvested in goods and services.

"I applaud my colleagues in the House of Representatives for investing in our veterans and American workers, while also providing our troops with the funding they need to carry out their missions and return home safely," added Reyes.

In addition to these expanded benefits, the bill would also:

-- Provide $400 million for Mexico and $65 million for Central America under the Merida Initiative for counter-narcotics and law enforcement assistance.

-- Fund $17.3 million for three child development centers at Fort Bliss.

-- Provide $137 million in BRAC-related military construction projects at Fort Bliss.

-- Invest $400 million in important science programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Energy (DOE), NASA, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve America's global competitiveness, energy efficiency, and medical research.

-- Place a moratorium on the implementation of six Medicaid regulations that would cut services to seniors, families, people with disabilities, and safety net providers.

-- Provide $2.65 billion in disaster relief for Midwest states affected by recent tornadoes and flooding.