Flake may support Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill that has been gathering steam in the U.S. House, as has its counterpart in the Senate, may pick up even more support soon.

So far, of the 71 Republican cosponsors who have joined 170 Democrats in supporting the bill, none have come from the ranks of Arizona's Republican representatives. Yet Rep. Jeff Flake (R-6), who has famously developed a strong rapport with his freshman colleague across the aisle, introducer Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5), is considering whether to break from them by supporting the bill.

Today Flake's Deputy Chief of Staff Matthew Specht said the Congressman would wait to see an estimate of the cost.

"Congressman Flake is waiting for more information on H.R. 5740, including a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office, before deciding whether or not to support the bill," said Specht.

Even if Flake decides he won't sign on, it is looking more likely that it will be folded into an overall supplemental spending bill to keep the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan going.

Despite the existence of other bills that introducers say will be less costly than Mitchell's, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) today publicly supported it, saying:

“The original GI Bill launched millions of families on a course of prosperity and toward achieving the American Dream—and set the American economy on the right course after a draining war. We can strengthen the middle class again with a new GI Bill.”

Also today, the Washington Post ran an article dealing in part with veterans finding the GI Bill is insufficient to cover the costs of education in many cases.