John McCain
Town Hall
Rochester, MI 05/07/08
[Note: The title screen on the video is incorrect. The date of the event is in fact May 7, 2008.]
TRANSCRIPT:
QUESTIONER: ...Senator I'd like to start out by saying as a previously registered Democratic voter who voted for you in the primaries, thank you for your service to our country I truly do appreciate it. I'm currently a sergeant in the US Marine Corp reserves. Coming up on the end of my contract, six years. In that time I was activated for several months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I also attend Wayne State University for my Doctorate of Pharmacy curriculum, and when it's all said and done next to me I'm going to owe over 70,000 dollars in student loans.
[...]
So I'm going to owe 7,000 dollars in student loans and my GI Bill benefits will be exhausted at that point. As you know Senator Jim Webb has introduced the post 911 veterans educational assistance Act to help negate this. Once your bill was brought to your attention, you had a, at a VFW hall meeting, you had stated you hadn't had time to review it yet. And two to four weeks later you had introduced your own legislation because you thought it would hurt retention. Now, I've done some research, and in 2000 the average payment to an active duty GI Bill was 650 dollars in 2005 that value was increased to 1,034 dollars almost 100%. I've looked at data on retention and in 2005 fiscal year the army air force and Marine Corps reported no reduction in retention, and again in 2006 there was no reduction in retention. In 2007 the department of Defense stated, "retention remains extremely strong in the active force with all services having met or exceeded their aggregate year to date target". Based on averages from the College Board, they say that the average cost of attendance is 17,000 dollars per year at a public university. Under your Bill it will provide, for that same time, 12,000 dollars leaving that veteran $5,000 in student loans. And over the course of a four-year degree, $20,000 in student loans still. Here at Oakland University it mimics that. Its $17,000 and this is the average university. At the VFW, [McCain motions for speaker to wrap it up] ok. You stated how veterans of previous wars are treated, is treated is directly related to our ability to recruit the finest of Americans to serve in our Nations military. Yes, 79% of members of our military don't have diplomas right now and 15% have criminal waivers. Senator, my question is, when are we going to start rewarding our veterans for their service by providing them adequate college education instead of punishing them with college loans?
MCCAIN: . . . We don't have a big enough Army and Marine Corps today, and you know that probably far better than I do. . .Including the strain on our guard and reserve is probably greater than it's been at anytime, in certainly, probably since World War II by any measurement. I worry about recruitment, and that means added incentives for educational benefits, pay, ect. I worry about retention. A lot of young officers at the rank of captain, as you know, that have reached the end of their obligated service, we're having some difficulty in that retention. The non-commissioned officer. All these things, I'm not telling you, but I'm trying to tell our participants here who might not be as familiar as you are. First of all let me say that I am proud to have received the highest award from every veterans organization in America. Not because of any reason but for my many years of dedication to the veterans and the care and affection and appreciation that I have for them. . . I also want to increase educational benefits, and do whatever it takes to both recruit and retain men and women in the military. I have some differences in that view. Senator Lindsey Graham, who is a reserve and has remained in the Air Force reserve and serves his active duty in Iraq, is the major sponsor of this legislation. He shares that same dedication. . .We will, I hope, be able to work out any differences that we have. But I want to, of course, reward the person who stays in the military longer with greater incentives to stay in as opposed to someone who only staying a few years, because I also want Americans to serve, but I also want dedicated Americans to serve as long as possible. And I will do what ever is necessary for what I've done my entire life, and my family for generations before me and generations after me, to do everything I can to help the veterans of this nation, and the men and women who are serving, to get the educational benefits that they need and deserve. [...]
LABEL: JM MI 5-7 (EW#8) CHIPR -- Clip H
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Fuck McCain.
jamesmanortiz 3 weeks ago
The video doesn't match the provided transcript. Might want to fix that.
pbyshelley 3 years ago