Bush lays out veteran benefits reform

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush used his State of the Union address Monday to ask Congress to pass legislation he said would improve the lives of military families.

Among the proposals he offered, Bush called on Congress to approve legislation allowing service members in any branch to transfer their unused education benefits to their spouses or children. Currently, the Army is the only branch allowing benefits to be transferred to service members' children.

Congress also will be asked to pass a bill that would create hiring preferences in the federal government for military spouses; the current law allows preference only for members of the military.

He also called for the adoption of reforms recommended by the commission led by former Sen. Bob Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala "so that our returning wounded warriors receive the services they need."