After voting against a massive farm bill yesterday in defiance of his party's leadership, Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5) once again bucked the House Democratic establishment today - this time regarding his own bill.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, introduced concurrently in the House by Mitchell and in the Senate by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), would grant an estimated $52 billion over 10 years in tuition, books and living expenses to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mitchell argues that it is especially important for members of National Guard and Reserve units who have served on active duty during the conflicts, who are not adequately covered under the current Montgomery GI Bill.

“Under the legislation, GIs returning from Iraq or Afghanistan would receive up to four academic years of education benefits, including stipends for housing and books," said Mitchell today. "They can even use their benefits at private schools through the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program, in which the federal government will match, dollar for dollar, any voluntary additional contributions to veterans from institutions whose tuition is more expensive than the maximum educational assistance provided under this legislation."

However, Mitchell voiced strong opposition to a change in the legislation that would seek to pay for the bill by taxing individuals making over $500,000 and couples making over $1 million per year.

"Our leadership has allowed ideological gotcha games to prevail," he said. "What began as an attempt to fix a broken promise to our veterans has devolved into a fight over who can score the most political points. As a result, instead of sending a veto-proof bill to the Senate, we are sending a lesser bill with a less certain outcome.

“This does not hurt any of our political opponents," said Mitchell. "It only hurts our veterans.  And, frankly, they deserve better."

Mitchell's contention is that the educational benefits "should be included as a cost of the war," and, as other war spending supplementals have been passed without raising taxes, this one should as well.

"I strongly disagree with leadership’s decision to raise taxes," he continued, "and I believe it is wrong that I wasn’t given an opportunity to offer an amendment to strip this from the bill.  I will do everything in my power to encourage the Senate to fix this legislation."

The bill passed today on a vote of 266-166, short of what it needs to defeat a presidential veto.

Mitchell believes the tax provision will be stripped from the bill when it is taken up by the Senate, and thinks it likelier that a bill without the tax increase will be able to secure the needed 2/3 majority to preclude a veto.