WASHINGTON — The current 10-year time limit on GI benefits needs to be lifted, as more and more veterans can't go back to school immediately after leaving the service because they face lengthy recovery from war wounds or family obligations, a congressman said.

"Veterans should not be limited to an arbitrary timeline that prevents them from getting the education and job training they need when they need it," Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., told a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee Thursday.

Larsen has introduced legislation that would remove the existing limit on active service veterans using their GI benefits within 10 years of being discharged. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., has introduced similar legislation in the Senate.

Nearly 60 percent of all veterans apply for educational and training benefits under the GI Bill.

About 80 percent had contributed to the GI program while serving.

"The debt we owe our nation's veterans doesn't come with an expiration date and neither should their GI Bill benefits," Larsen said.

Larsen's bill had strong support from veterans organizations and veterans in Washington state. There are about 670,000 veterans in Washington.

"I can tell you it is always difficult when we encounter a veteran who is ready to make a positive change in his or her life by going back to school, but is stopped short because the education entitlement (GI Bill benefit) has expired," John Lee, director of the Washington state Department of Veterans Affairs, said in written testimony to the subcommittee.

Linda McGuiness, an Army veteran from Bellingham, Wash., said it was a "frightening transition" from military to civilian life. Many veterans are more focused on securing their immediate financial future than planning for the longer term, she said.

"Just getting back on your feet after your military career takes years and soon the 10-year deadline for using the GI Bill has passed," McGuiness wrote the committee.

Dave Fernandez, a Marine veteran from Bow, Wash., agreed. "On paper, 10 years appears to be ample time to complete a two-year or even a four-year degree," Fernandez said. "However, most veterans are not prepared to go to school directly after exiting the military."