Webb, McCain unlikely to compromise on G.I. bill

Prospects for a compromise on a new G.I. bill between Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) are dwindling.

A Webb aide said that the senator’s bill has momentum and he is not likely to compromise with McCain or substantially change his widely popular legislation aiming to overhaul educational benefits for the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  

{mosads}The Senate is expected to vote on Webb’s legislation when it considers a supplemental spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan next week.

Webb is considering one change to his bill, which mirrors the generous post-World War II G.I. Bill that helped veterans pay for their education and is credited with spurring an expansion of the U.S. economy.

Webb is looking into an existing option that would allow certain officers to transfer their education benefits to family members would still be able to do so if his bill becomes law, his aide said.

The 2002 Defense Authorization Act allows service members with critical military skills to transfer up to 18 months of their current G.I. bill benefits to their spouse or to one or more children if they have served at least six years and agree to serve at least four more. 

It is unclear if these service members would be able to transfer the benefits under Webb’s bill as written. Webb is trying to maintain the benefits under his bill, the aide said.

After months of being pressed by Webb and thousands of veterans to support Webb’s bill, McCain refused to sign on and introduced his own legislation with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

There are some marked differences between the two bills—deepening the standoff between McCain and Webb, who are both Vietnam War veterans.

In particular, McCain’s bill seeks to transfer educational benefits to the spouses and children of military members who spend at least six years in the military.  Webb’s bill as it stands now does not address the issue of transferability.

Webb has already indicated that no major compromise would be possible so late in the game.

McCain reached out to Webb with a letter on Monday, and Senate aides later met to try to solve their differences.

But on Tuesday, Webb and other Democrats cried foul after GOP leaders forced a vote on the McCain bill in order to protect him from voting on Webb’s bill.