WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today joined Senator Tom Carper, D-Del., and other senators in introducing a bipartisan resolution recognizing the week of June 18 through June 22 as National G.I. Bill Commemoration Week.

This week marks the 74th anniversary of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, landmark legislation that established the original G.I. Bill, which provided educational assistance to service members, veterans and their families. The original G.I. Bill sent nearly 8 million returning World War II veterans to college and vocational schools. Veterans today are taking advantage of a similar benefit in the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. 

Last year, Isakson-authored legislation to enhance the post-9/11 G.I. Bill – the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 – was signed into law. Isakson’s legislation eliminated the arbitrary 15-year period within which a veteran is required to use their G.I. Bill and instead allows them to use their benefits at any time in their professional career – making it a ‘forever’ benefit.

“The G.I. Bill has been one of our country’s great successes, and I am pleased to honor its long history, from the original G.I. Bill of 1944 to the Forever G.I. Bill of today,” said Isakson. “The G.I. Bill doesn’t just honor and reward a veteran’s service—it builds on values and skills gained by each veteran through their service and provides a transformative opportunity for them to continue serving their community and their country through education. Our veterans are critical to the future leadership of our nation, and the investments we place in them during their service and through the G.I. Bill help ensure a strong future for our country.”

In addition to Isakson, Tester and Carper, the Senate resolution was introduced by Senators Bill Nelson D-Fla., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

“Investing in a quality education for service members today will pay dividends well into the future,” said Tester. “During G.I. Bill Week, we honor our veterans and recommit ourselves to ensure they can put their unique skillset and experience to use long after they hang up their uniforms.”

"The G.I. Bill changed the course of history. Millions of returning WWII veterans enrolled in higher education and job training programs and helped usher in an era of broad economic growth in the United States. The G.I. Bill changed my life, too," said Senator Carper, a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserves. "When I returned from Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War, I used the G.I. Bill to enroll at the University of Delaware and pursue a master’s degree. Today's veterans and their families have earned incredible G.I. Bill benefits through their sacrifice for our country. I'm proud to introduce a bipartisan resolution celebrating FDR signing the original G.I. Bill and renewing our commitment to making sure every veteran gets the most out of their hard-earned G.I. Bill benefits."

“The G.I. Bill represents only one of the many promises made by a grateful nation to assist our service members in their transition back into civilian life,” said Sullivan. “It is a significant piece of legislation, one that has empowered generations – in every facet of the country – to succeed in the workforce and in their communities. As Senate co-chair of the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus and as a Marine, I was honored to collaborate with my colleagues to recognize the G.I. Bill’s history as a powerful tool that has served our nation’s service members, veterans and their families.”

A companion resolution was also introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Phil Roe, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. 

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The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 115th Congress. Isakson is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the armed services as well as more than 750,000 veterans.