GI Bill Anniversary

Floor Speech

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the original GI Bill, also known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. This legislation has had an enormous impact on the lives of millions of veterans, creating access to low-cost home loans and educational and vocational training.

Signed into law on June 22, 1944, the GI Bill came into being during the height of World War II, when America was mobilized into war around the globe. These veterans returned from war, utilized access to education and training, and began building an America that would lead the world economically and militarily for generations to come.

Since then, veterans from other conflicts, including Korea, Vietnam, and others, have used the GI Bill. Recently, it was amended to allow a new generation of veterans to gain access to a variety of benefits to transition to civilian life. The post-9/11 GI Bill builds upon the success of a bill signed into law 70 years ago.

Mr. Speaker, our veterans have paid a high price to earn these benefits, and they deserve as much.

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