Congress Moves Two Critical Provisions for Veterans and Gold Star Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, June 16^th, 2009

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Congress Moves Two Critical Provisions for Veterans and Gold Star Families

House Passes Stop-Loss and GI Bill Provisions as Part of War Supplemental

Washington, DC—Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation’s first and largest non-partisan, nonprofit representing veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, applauded the House for passing retroactive stop-loss payments and a new education benefit for children of those killed on active-duty as part of the war supplemental bill (H.R.2346).  The stop-loss provision would provide up to $5,000 in back-pay to thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who were held beyond their enlistment contract before October 2008 under the military’s stop-loss policy. The new education benefit would allow the new GI Bill to be transferred to all children of servicemembers who died while on active-duty since 9/11.

“Today, the House stood up for veterans, and delivered two critical programs for stop-lossed troops and Gold Star families. Overtime payments and education benefits for children of those killed in the line of duty are issues we have been hearing about from our members for a long time and are long over-due,” said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. “After all the debate on Capitol Hill, it’s encouraging to see that our nation’s lawmakers put our servicemen and women above partisan politics. We applaud the House for their support of troops and veterans, and urge the Senate to quickly pass the bill.”

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 125,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.