Candidate, Veteran Urges Support for Bill Modernizing Decades-old
Commitment to Our Veterans
April 14, 2008
BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Steve Sarvi, DFL challenger to Rep. John Kline in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District, today issued the following statement regarding the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act (S.22 & H.R.2702):
“I’m a 19-year veteran of the U.S. military, and I’m fortunate: I’ve already gotten a college education. Many of the young men and women I served with in Kosovo and Iraq have not yet had that opportunity. The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act will bring up-to-date one of the best and most important pieces of legislation to ever pass through Congress: the GI Bill. Without updates, some of the men and women I served with will struggle to pay for the education that is the key to their future. Our service men and women and their families sacrifice so much; the least we can do is support them when they return home and try to make a better life – and continue to serve our nation as civilians. I urge people to call their members of Congress and ask them to support this bill, and I urge our members of Congress to do the right thing and truly support our troops and veterans by supporting the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act.”
From VoteVets.org, which has endorsed Sarvi’s candidacy:
The original GI Bill transformed American history, providing education for returning soldiers. It both recognized our nation's moral duty to acknowledge the sacrifices of our World War II veterans and helped create America's middle class, spurring decades of economic growth.
Economists estimate that the original bill returned anywhere between $5 and $13 for every dollar spent on it. But the original GI Bill has become woefully outdated, to the point where the average benefit doesn't even cover half the cost of an in-state student's education at a public college.
The Post-9/11 Veterans Act, which has an estimated cost between $2.5 billion and $4 billion, is common-sense legislation. With the support of groups like VoteVets.org, 53 cosponsors, including 10 Republicans, three Vietnam War veterans in the Senate and former Secretary of the Navy John Warner, the bill simply updates what the late historian Stephen Ambrose called “the best piece of legislation ever passed by the U.S. Congress.”
Steve Sarvi
Steve Sarvi is a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army and National Guard who served in both Kosovo and Iraq. He’s a former three-term mayor of Watertown, Minn., who has worked in local government for more than 13 years, currently serving as the administrator for the City of Victoria, Minn. For more about Sarvi and his vision for changing our country’s course, visit www.stevesarvi.org.