June
17 Stars to Push for New G.I. Bill

Sally Field, Felicity Huffman, Lisa Kudrow, William H. Macy, Frank Gehry and Robin Williams are among the notable names who will join Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) to push for passage of a new and improved G.I. Bill on Sunday.

The bill is pending before the House, where lawmakers are debating whether to add the upgraded GI benefits to a war funding bill. The new GI Bill would guarantee a full scholarship at any public university and a stipend for housing. Current benefits are too low for many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to afford the rising cost of tuition.

Webb co-authored the bill with Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.).

Also present at the event, to be held at the UCLA Faculty Center, will be returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as veterans from World War II and Vietnam.

Barack Obama and John McCain sparred over the merits of the bill last month. Obama, a co-sponsor of the legislation, chided McCain for his opposition to the bill. McCain believes the bill will hurt retention of troops in the armed forces.

The event on Sunday is sponsored by the Campaign for a New GI Bill.