Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
7337093
label
President Returns Veterans Benefits Bill H.R. 12628 Without His Approval [Veto Statements and Announcements]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
7337093
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
President Returns Veterans Benefits Bill H.R. 12628 Without His Approval [Veto Statements and Announcements]
citationUrl
collections
White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
subjects
U.S. House of Representatives. (03/04/1789 - )
Vetoes
Legislation
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
7337093
levelOfDescription
item
productionDates
day
26
logicalDate
1974-11-26
month
11
year
1974
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
f4bc42fecb0f6522
ocrText
Digitized from Box 5 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 26, 1974
Office of the White House Press Secretary
THE WHITE HOUSE
TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
I am returning today without my approval H.R. 12628,
a bill which would provide what I consider an excessive
increase and liberalization of veterans' education and
training benefits.
Instead, I urge the Congress to send me a veterans'
education bill along the lines that I have proposed. By
doing so, we can avoid adding another half billion dollar
load to the already overburdened taxpayer. Failure to do
so will mean that the Congress will in the aggregate --
Federal pay deferral, Railroad Retirement and Veterans
Education -- add over one and a half billion dollars to
the Federal deficit in 1975.
This bill which I am returning to the Congress provides
benefits that are greater than those granted to World
War II and Korea veterans. It would cost the taxpayers half
a billion dollars more in fiscal year 1975 than is appro--
priate in view of the country's current economic circumstances.
The decision not to sign this bill has not been an easy
one. But it is necessary if all of us are to operate with
essential budgetary restraint. The Nation must reduce
Federal spending if we are to stop the inflation spiral.
I have asked the Congress on previous occasions to
join with me to hold down Federal spending and help whip
inflation. In two important instances, the Federal pay
deferral plan and the Railroad Retirement bill, the Congress
refused to join with me and the result has added an additional
one billion dollars to the Federal taxpayers' burden.
Veterans' benefits should -- and can -- be improved.
I continue to support a responsible increase in education
benefits for veterans. I again urge the Congress, as I
have on many occasions, to enact a GI Bill providing for
an 18.2 percent benefit increase rather than the 23 percent
in this bill. Such action would be in keeping with the
need for fiscal responsibility while recognizing the Nation's
special debt to our veterans.
Since the Vietnam-era GI bill first went into effect in
1966, the total of veterans' benefit increases enacted
through 1972 have substantially exceeded the rise in cost
of living. Not including the provisions of this bill, the
basic monthly education allowance has increased by a $120
per month or 120 percent since 1966. This compares with an
actual rise of 55 percent in the Consumer Price Index.
In addition to the 23 percent benefit increase, this
bill extends entitlement for GI bill benefits from 36 to
45 months for undergraduates. I believe the present entitle-
ment of four academic years is sufficient time to permit a
veteran to obtain his baccalaureate degree and to enable him
to adjust to civilian life.
more
(OVER)
2
In addition, the bill contains other objectionable
features despite my urging that they be eliminated. It
establishes a new direct loan program for veteran students
which departs from the sound objective of providing student
aid through one department -- Health, Education and Welfare --
rather than through various Federal agencies. A direct loan
program is also inefficient compared to available guaranteed
loan programs, which provide substantially more assistance
to the veteran at less cost to the Federal taxpayer.
I am returning this bill with reluctance, but it is my
earnest hope that the Congress will demonstrate its willing-
ness to join the executive branch in taking the difficult
actions needed to hold down spending by the Federal
Government while being equitable with our veterans.
GERALD R. FORD
THE WHITE HOUSE,
November 26, 1974.
# # #