We have NO Action Items today.

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see VISIT YOUR LEGISLATORS IN AUGUST. During the month of August, most elected officials return to their home districts to meet with constituents.. This is a great opportunity for you to visit your elected officials’ offices and advise them of your and MOAA’s concerns on important matters. We need you help to influence the defense bill. Now is also a perfect opportunity to help make progress on remaining inequities for disabled retirees and surviving spouses. It’s imperative that we let our legislators know how we feel about these topics. (See Issue 1 below for the details. GF)

 

At Issue 2. we see FUNDING THREATENS VA CARE. Millions of veterans to lose access if Congress fails to act. VA funding shortfalls mean that millions of veterans may be at risk. (See Issue 2 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 3. we see OPM ADMITS MILITARY AFFECTED BY BREACH. 21.5 million records impacted by hack. OPM director resigns amid backlash. (See Issue 3 below for the details. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

Issue 1.  VISIT YOUR LEGISLATORS IN AUGUST

July 22, 2015

During the month of August, most elected officials return to their home districts to meet with constituents. This is a great opportunity for you as a MOAA member to visit your elected officials’ offices and advise them of your and MOAA’s concerns on important matters.

We need your help to influence the defense bill. Now is also a perfect opportunity to help make progress on remaining inequities for disabled retirees and surviving spouses. Congress needs to:

• Prevent further erosion of pay and benefits.
• Authorize full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability compensation.
• Eliminate the dollar for dollar offset of military survivor pay and VA indemnity compensation.

It’s imperative that we let our legislators know how we feel about these topics.

These aren’t just “defending our rice bowl” issues; they’re critical matters for sustaining retention and readiness – the core of our national defense – over the long term.

To assist you in preparing for these meetings, we’ve developed fact sheets and talking points on the three key issues listed above.

You don’t have to be an expert on every issue. That’s why we designed the packages as we have – to include a “key points” summary to talk from, along with one-page fact sheets on each issue that you can print and leave with the legislators and/or their staffs.

One of the reasons MOAA has been successful on Capitol Hill is that we have members who are willing to contact their legislators and express their views on issues that are important to them. Leaders who can say “We represent _____ MOAA members in our state” help convey that they’re speaking for a substantial group of constituents.

And the grassroots support of our members has never been as important as it is now.

You can use our website to find your legislators’ local offices.

One-Page Fact Sheets for Three Key Issues 

1. 1. Reject Military Pay and Benefits Cuts (PDF)
2. 2. Support Full Concurrent Receipt(PDF)
3. 3. Eliminate the Widow’s Tax (PDF)

Use this statistical summary (PDF) to highlight the number of people affected in your state.

 (Click respectively on the five blue underlined topics above for the details. GF)

Issue 2. FUNDING THREATENS VA CARE

July 24, 2015

In a contentious hearing, lawmakers accused VA Secretary Bob McDonald of covering up information threatening the health care of millions of veterans.

McDonald said the department faces a $3 billion budget shortfall and, without congressional action, will have to deny access to health care to veterans.

“We’ll have no option at the end of July but to defer … authorizations until October, provide staff furlough notices, notify vendors we cannot pay them as we begin an orderly shutdown of hospitals and clinics all across the country,” said McDonald.

According to McDonald, the VA is struggling to meet the increased demand for health care provided under the Choice Act. The Choice Act allows some veterans to receive health care at non-VA facilities, paid for by the VA.

Passing of the Choice Act has driven up costs for delivering care outside the VA. The Choice Act, along with other community care programs, all have different authorities and budget lines. Currently, VA lacks the authority to move dollars between the programs.

That means that even though Congress has increased overall funding for VA health care, the money has only gone to specific accounts.

“You already appropriated funds to meet these needs, but you haven’t given me the flexibility and authority to use them,” said McDonald.

A victim of its own success, VA has been able to double its capacity in staffing, space, productivity, and delivering care over the past year. This hard work resulted in 7 million more appointments for veterans, 4.5 million of them from outside providers. But the VA estimates that for every one percent increase in veterans accessing health care, it spends $1.5 billion on health care delivery.

The revelation did not sit well with members of Congress.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) chided McDonald for his “slow, painstaking revelation of the crisis” and the department’s financial woes, problems the VA first became aware of in April but failed to inform Congress of until early June.

The fix?

The short-term solution is for Congress to give VA the budget flexibility to address the shortfalls to ensure continued care for veterans.

The long-term solution to VA’s budget problems is to consolidate and streamline all of the VA community care programs. Congress and the VA are working to simplify management of health care services.

MOAA joined with a number of other veterans’ organizations in writing asking committee leaders to resolve the VA’s budget crisis.

The Senate expects to take up the issue next week.

Issue 3. PROTECTING YOUR WALLET

July 24, 2015

President Obama announced new rules to protect servicemembers and their families from predatory lending practices.

The new protections will cover all forms of payday loans as well as other loans that target military members and their families: car title loans, refund anticipation loans, deposit advance loans, installment loans, unsecured open-end lines of credit and credit cards.

A DoD statement on the change said, “With this action, the department takes an important stand against companies that can prey on our men and women in uniform. This new rule addresses a range of credit products that previously escaped the scope of the regulation, compromising the financial success of our troops.”

MOAA worked with its partners in The Military Coalition to help pass the original Military Lending Act. The original law capped interest rates at 36 percent for a limited number of covered loans to active duty servicemembers and their families.

But payday lenders often found loopholes and other ways to skirt the law.

“Today’s rule change is a major victory for military families,” said Col. Mike Barron, USA (Ret.), MOAA’s Deputy Director of Government Relations. “There are more payday lenders in America than there are Starbucks and McDonalds. These institutions prey on vulnerable military families and put them in a cycle of debt.”

The new rule allows for industry compliance by October 1, followed by a staggered implementation period.

For more financial tips and information from MOAA, check out our Financial Frontlines blog.

(Click on Financial Frontlines blog here or above to see the details. GF)

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

We have an Urgent Action Action today

 

MOAA members are some of the most engaged citizens in the country. We’ve dedicated our lives to service before self, and we know what it means to never stop serving.

I’m proud of how much we’ve accomplished this year. We’ve helped pass several important pieces of legislation to help veterans and military families. To date, MOAA members have sent over 240,000 messages to their elected officials this year. That’s more than any other military or veterans service organization on Capitol Hill.

But we need your help.

Over the next two weeks, members of Congress may leave Washington without having completed an annual defense bill. Members of the Armed Services committees were confident they could complete their work before returning to their home districts.

Some of the proposals up for debate in the defense bill are a bad deal for the military community, including:

• pay raises that fail to keep pace with the private sector;
• dramatic pharmacy fee increases;
• erosions to housing allowances; and
• continued cuts to commissaries.

These shortsighted decisions will have a long-term effect on the future of America’s military.

Fortunately, House lawmakers passed a defense bill that rejected these cost-cutting measures. But our friends in the Senate accepted them.

Some lawmakers operate under the faulty assumption that we need to cut military pay and benefits to fund readiness programs. The fact is, we need both.

We have one last chance. It’s up to you to tell lawmakers we cannot afford to erode the pay and benefits of the all-volunteer force.

Before Congress adjourns for the August recess, show your support. Speak up and tell your elected officials you support the House-passed provisions in this year’s defense bill.

(Click on   here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

Here is the Process:  If the steps below are new to some, I recommend that you review all of the steps and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

1. Click here onhttp://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/ or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at the  “Legislative Action Center” screen.
2. Scroll downunder “Current Action Alerts” and click on Reject Military Pay and Benefits Cuts .
3. At the next screen enter your Zip code if requested and/orhit “Go!” and/or scroll down to “Take Action”  and at “Compose Message” leave ‘Email‘ checked or check ‘Printed Letter‘  to send  Printed Letters instead of sending Emails if desired .
4. If an  “Issue Area:”line appears just before the Editable Text: and doesn’t have an issue shown, click on the down arrow and select an issue; e. g., Military, Veterans Affairs, etc. (usually required on messages to our Senators)
5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” areaand edit/modify the text of the message if desired.
6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION. The “Phone”number is now required by some Legislators (it’s required if your Senator is from Arizona) .  Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
7. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
8. Check ‘Yes‘ or ‘No‘ as to whether you want to have a copy of your letter sent to your Email Address (suggested at least for you initial efforts, and to see how your personal data is included in the message).
9. Hit “Send Message”
10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 3 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.
11. For Arizona residents, because of some current problems with contacting Sen Flake by Email,you will see after hitting “Send Message” at Step 9 above, that “Printed Letter” is the most readily observable option for getting your message to him. Step 10 above tells you how to do that..

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

We have NO Action Items today.

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see JUNE COLA RELEASED Steady climbs to .2% below what it was in 2014 at this time. (See Issue 1 below for the details. GF)

 

At Issue 2. we see NEW MATERNITY RULES HELP MOTHERS. Services go family friendly to keep female troops. New Navy and Air Force policies highlight inconsistencies in the services. (See Issue 2 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 3. we see OPM ADMITS MILITARY AFFECTED BY BREACH. 21.5 million records impacted by hack. OPM director resigns amid backlash. (See Issue 3 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 4. we see BUDGET BREAKDOWN IN SENATE. Shutdown looms as appropriations work ends. Will we see another government shutdown? (See Issue 4 below for the details. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

Issue 1.  JUNE COLA RELEASED

Steady climb continues

Follow the trends on MOAA’s COLA Watch.

 (Click on JUNE COLA RELEASED here or above to see the chart. GF)

Issue 2. EXPANED BENEFITS FOR SOME NEW MOTHERS

Jul 16 2015

Published by Karen at 4:11 pm under Legislation,Military Children,Parenting,Support Services & Resources,Veterans

In a bold move, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus recently tripled the amount of maternity leave available for women in the Navy and the Marine Corps. The new policy extends maternity leave from six weeks to 18 weeks.

Under the new policy, any Navy or Marine servicemember that took convalescent leave following the birth of a child since the first of the year is eligible for the full benefit. The 18 weeks of leave are available to use any time within the first year of the child’s birth. The policy is effective immediately.

The Services have been trying to become more family friendly by taking a hard look at making military service easier on families.

When questioned on the Navy’s new policy at a town hall meeting, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter backed the changes, saying, “We’ve got to keep thinking, sensing and adjusting and not just living with old regulations that harken back to a different era.”

Following Mabus’ announcement, the Air Force announced it will provide a one year exemption from physical training assessments for any female airmen that have had pregnancies lasting at least 20 weeks.

The Air Force is also allowing one-year deferments for new mothers given orders or assignments to where airmen would not be allowed to bring a dependent.

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James said, “The goal is to alleviate the strain on some of our talented airmen who choose to leave the Air Force as they struggle to balance deployments and family issues, and this is especially true soon after childbirth.”

The announcements create new disparities between the Services. Previously, all of the Services had a uniform leave policy. At this time, it’s unclear how the other Services will respond to the changes.

The announcements also leave little time for commanders to adapt to the new rules.

MOAA supports the family friendly policy changes, but we think these benefits should extend across all Services.

“Family friendly policies are critical to recruit and retain the best and the brightest in today’s environment,” said Karen Golden, MOAA’s Deputy Director of Government Relations, “but, women in uniform need a uniform policy.”

As the Pentagon works on its Force of the Future initiative, MOAA believes the Services should take a comprehensive review of family friendly policies, including maternity leave and duty assignments.

Click on Force of the Future here or above for more detail. GF)

Issue 3. OPM ADMITS MILITARY AFFECTED BY BREACH

The scope of the data breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) went well beyond numbers initially reported.

OPM originally thought the cyberattack was limited to 4.2 million records. Upon further scrutiny, investigators concluded that the number of records compromised is closer to 21.5 million. Individuals affected include past and present federal and military employees, as well as any applicants that applied for a clearance since 2000.

Information compromised in the breach includes Social Security numbers, fingerprints, and residency, educational, family, financial, health, employment history.

OPM’s website details the next steps it will take in notifying those affected by the data breach. OPM sent notifications by mail informing people of the services available. These services will be available for at least three years:

• Full service identity restoration support and victim recovery assistance
• Identity theft insurance
• Identity monitoring for minor children
• Continuous credit monitoring
• Fraud monitoring services beyond credit files

Several lawmakers on Capitol Hill called for terminating OPM Director Katherine Archuleta. After the intense backlash, she tendered her resignation on July 10.

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said, “The breadth of the data breach at the Office of Personnel Management is staggering and unacceptable. We also have an obligation to ensure that those who serve the Department, in or out of uniform, are able to do so securely.”

The Senate now needs to appoint someone capable of handling a crisis of this magnitude and restore faith with the American people that their personal information is secure.

MOAA calls on Congress and the administration to complete a thorough investigation into the data breach, and to implement necessary action to prevent further incidents like these from occurring.

Issue 4. BUDGET BREAKDOWN IN SENATE

July 17, 2015

As budget negotiations break down in the Senate, a high stakes game of political posturing means the government could be heading towards another shutdown in October.

“The longer we wait, the more likely we face this showdown and shutdown,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

Washington, D.C. will be a relative ghost town in August as lawmakers return to their home districts to meet with constituents. The House and Senate expect to have only 10 days to work together on the defense appropriations bill in September. With such a limited timeframe, many on Capitol Hill are beginning to see the need for a continuing resolution (CR).

Under a CR, DoD is funded at existing levels until Congress can reach an agreement on funding for the remainder of the fiscal year. Without legal authority to spend money, nonessential DoD functions cease.

Sen. Durbin opposes a CR, calling it “a mindless extension of the government budget from the previous year … that is not going to afford us the opportunity to do the right thing or debate important issues.”

Congress cannot come to an agreement over spending cuts imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act, also known as sequestration.

While the House passed its defense appropriation bill in June, the Senate remains stuck at an impasse. Progress on the Senate’s appropriations bill was scuttled due to disagreements over the nature of how the Pentagon would be funded.

Earlier this year the administration requested a Pentagon budget exceeding sequestration’s budget caps by $38 billion. The Senate Appropriations Committee provided the funding requested, but used sequestration-exempt war accounts to pay for base operations. This budgetary gimmick is at the center of the current stalemate. The White House has threatened to veto any defense-spending bill using this method.

“Congress still has time to come to an agreement on funding DoD,” said Col. Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret), MOAA’s Director of Government Relations. “A shutdown scare does nothing but add additional stress to military families.”

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

 

We have 2 Action Items today, at Issue 1 and  2 below

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see CONGRESS NEARS FINISH LINE ON DEFENSE BILL. Starting next week, House and Senate conferees begin their work on the defense bill. What’s at stake could have a dramatic impact on the military community.(See Issue 1 below for the details and to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

 

At Issue 2. we see ARMY SHAKEUP CUTS 40,000 TROOPS. Plan cuts thousands over two years. The Army continues to make deep cuts to end strength levels, threatening national security. (See Issue 2 below for the details and to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

At Issue 3. we see NEW CHIEFS ON THE BLOCK. Fresh faces mean new opportunities, and challenges

In his July edition of “The Bottom Line,” MOAA Director of Government Relations Col. Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret) looks at the incoming members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.. (See Issue 3 below for the details. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

Issue 1.  CONGRESS NEARS FINISH LINE ON DEFENSE BILL

Starting next week, House and Senate conferees begin their work on the defense bill

What’s at stake could have a dramatic impact on the military community:

• Pay raises that fail to keep pace with the private sector
• Dramatic pharmacy fee increases
• Erosions to housing allowances
• Continued cuts to commissaries

Time is running out. Please send your elected officials a MOAA-suggested message today.

(Click on  CONGRESS NEARS FINISH LINE ON DEFENSE BILL here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

 

Issue 2. ARMY SHAKEUP CUTS 40,000 TROOPS

July 10, 2015

In a move that is sending ripples throughout the military community, the Army announced that it is cutting 40,000 troops. The drawdown, expected to take about two years, will have a dramatic impact on military communities both domestically and abroad.

The cuts will reduce Army end strength to 450,000, a level not seen since before World War II.

“For the most part, the military has been able to reduce end strength by cutting the number of troops stationed abroad,” said MOAA’s Deputy Director of Government Relations, Col. Mike Barron, USA (Ret). “With this announcement, you’re going to start seeing a lot of changes stateside.”

According to Army planning documents, the reduction is a result of sequestration. If sequestration is allowed to continue, total Army end strength will decrease to 420,000 soldiers in 2018.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno told lawmakers that at those levels, the Army would not be able to meet national security requirements.

Lawmakers were quick to comment on the cuts. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the planned reduction “a dangerous consequence of a budget driven-strategy.”

Odierno emphasized that the more problematic issue caused by the budget fights between Congress and the White House is the uncertainty for military planners, troops, and their families.

“This isn’t just about troops,” said Barron. “When you start talking about cuts like these, you’re disrupting local communities; you’re making dramatic changes to school systems.”

MOAA continues to push congressional leadership to end sequestration, but we need your help.

Send a  MOAA suggested message  urging your elected officials to repeal sequestration. 

 (Click on  MOAA suggested message here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

Issue 3. The Bottom Line – NEW CHIEFS ON THE BLOCK

July 10, 2015

By Col. Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret)

Throughout my Air Force career, I had the luxury of being assigned to a new crew and having an experienced mentor to turn to. It’s always been nice to seek out someone with tenure, someone who has been around the block once or twice and can show you the ropes. But what happens when everyone on your team is as new as you?

The service chiefs are about to experience that predicament. Within a 12-month period, every member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is going to complete his term, an occurrence not seen in over 30 years – and the turbulence they may face over the next year will be startling.

One job of the Joint Chiefs is to ensure personnel readiness and one of the first things the Joint Chiefs must address is increased pessimism within the ranks. A recent Military Times survey found that barely one in four surveyed said they believed their leadership had their best interests at heart. The same survey found 56 percent of those surveyed stated their quality of life is good or excellent – down from 91 percent in 2009.

It’s easy to see why morale is sinking. Sequestration has forced the military to take a disproportionate share of solving the nation’s budget problems. We’ve asked the services to kick out exceptional personnel and eroded troops’ pay and benefits, creating such an unstable environment where military families never know when the next shoe will drop.

Instead of planning for tomorrow’s battles today, sequestration forces the military to fight tomorrow’s battles with yesterday’s budget.

The new chiefs will be the first to experience how troops will respond to major retirement reform. The current military pension program is one of the key incentives to serve a full career in uniform. Will a 20 percent cut cause troops to vote with their feet?

How will the force of the future respond to the current Pentagon’s appropriately titled Force of the Future initiative? Will the prospect of relaxing some of rigidity that exists in the military foster retention, or will it leave troops wondering if the military offers anything different from jobs in corporate America? After all, if you could get the same experience in the civilian sector without the prospect of being shot at, would you stay in?

And, ultimately, the service chiefs will need to figure out how to structure the remaining force to face the next war. Will the next conflict be long, large, and protracted, or consist of small, tactical, and precise skirmishes?

How will the leaner military respond to asymmetrical warfare in disparate locations? How will it fare against cyber-attacks like the recent OPM data breach? Can a lean military project force to countries like China, North Korea, or any future enemy the United States may face? Will a military that’s already being cut to the bone be able to face a traditional enemy in combat?

(Click on OPM data breach here or above to see more detail GF)

Regardless of the threat, the remaining force will continue to go into harm’s way as long as the troops know that leadership has their back and their family’s interests at heart.

The Bottom Line: With the unstable environment we’re in, it’s critical that the service chiefs work on winning back the trust of troops and their families.

(Click on NEW CHIEFS ON THE BLOCK here or above and scroll down about half way at that screen and click on Please Sign in to comment on this page to leave a comment on this issue.GF)

Here is the Process:  If the steps below are new to some, I recommend that you review all of the steps and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

1. Click here onhttp://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/ or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at the  “Legislative Action Center” screen.
2. Scroll downunder “Current Action Alerts” and click on Reject Military Pay and Benefits Cuts the first time through this process, and click on Ask Congress To End Sequestration Nowthe second time through the process
3. At the next screen enter your Zip code if requested and/orhit “Go!” and/or scroll down to “Take Action”  and at “Compose Message” leave ‘Email‘ checked or check ‘Printed Letter‘  to send  Printed Letters instead of sending Emails if desired .
4. If an  “Issue Area:”line appears just before the Editable Text: and doesn’t have an issue shown, click on the down arrow and select an issue; e. g., Military, Veterans Affairs, etc. (usually required on messages to our Senators)
5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” areaand edit/modify the text of the message if desired.
6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION. The “Phone”number is now required by some Legislators (it’s required if your Senator is from Arizona) .  Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
7. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
8. Check ‘Yes‘ or ‘No‘ as to whether you want to have a copy of your letter sent to your Email Address (suggested at least for you initial efforts, and to see how your personal data is included in the message).
9. Hit “Send Message”
10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 3 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.
11. For Arizona residents, because of some current problems with contacting Sen Flake by Email,you will see after hitting “Send Message” at Step 9 above, that “Printed Letter” is the most readily observable option for getting your message to him. Step 10 above tells you how to do that..
12. 12. After completing the process for the first Action Item, return to Step 2above and repeat the process for the second Action Item:Ask Congress To End Sequestration Now

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

We have 1 Action Item today, at Issue 1 below

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see REJECT MILITARY PAY AND BENEFITS CUTS.
Make sure your elected officials know where you stand. The time to act is now. When Congress returns from the 4th of July holiday, lawmakers will tackle the FY 2016 defense bill. (See Issue 1 below for the details and to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

 

At Issue 2. we see AFTER SCOTUS RULING, VA REVISES BENEFITS POLICY. VA streamlines benefits for same-sex couples. This week, the VA announced it will implement new policies to eliminate an inconsistent delivery of benefits. (See Issue 2 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 3. we see MOAA BACKS VETERANS’ BILLS. Lawmakers consider several vet bills. Find out which bills MOAA supports. (See Issue 3 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 4. we see WARRIOR-FAMILY SYMPOSIUM

Join MOAA and Wounded Warrior Project on September 9

MOAA’s Warrior-Family Symposium looks at how organizations align to improve the overall mental wellness of the military community. Registration is free. Learn more about the program and sign up today. (Click on WARRIOR-FAMILY SYMPOSIUM here or above to see the details and to register if desired. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

Issue 1. REJECT MILITARY PAY AND BENEFITS CUTS

Make sure your elected officials know where you stand

The time to act is now. When Congress returns from the 4th of July holiday, lawmakers will tackle the FY 2016 defense bill.

What’s at stake:

• Pay raises that fail to keep pace with the private sector
• Dramatic pharmacy fee increases
• Erosions to housing allowances
• Continued cuts to commissaries

Fortunately, House lawmakers stopped these provisions dead in their tracks. However, the Senate plans to keep them alive.

MOAA, along with our partners in The Military Coalition, sent a letter to members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees highlighting our concerns as the conferees aim to complete the defense bill before the end of July.

With time running out, we need your help. Contact your legislators and support the House-passed version of the defense bill.

(Click on  REJECT MILITARY PAY AND BENEFITS CUTS here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

 

Issue 2. AFTER SCOTUS RULING, VA REVISES BENEFITS POLICY

July 2, 2015

The VA will now provide benefits to same-sex couples, following the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage. For the first time, same-sex couples will become eligible to receive survivors’ benefits, home loans, and other benefits from the VA.

DoD began providing benefits to active duty same-sex couples in 2013. The VA’s rule change now provides a continuum of benefits for all military families.

Prior to the Court’s ruling, the VA only provided benefits to same-sex couples who both married and resided in a state where same-sex marriage was legal. This resulted in vast discrepancies in the delivery of benefits to veterans.

In one case, an Iraq war veteran was denied the dependent rate for VA benefits because she traveled to Washington, where her spouse’s parents reside, to be married. However, the VA did not acknowledge the marriage because she resided in Texas, a state that did not recognize same-sex marriages.

Earlier this year, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced legislation to force the VA to provide benefits to same-sex couples living in states that did not recognize same-sex unions. The Senate ultimately rejected her proposal.

In a letter to VA Secretary Robert McDonald, Shaheen wrote, “this clear inequity has not only been an affront to thousands of men and women who have served our nation faithfully in uniform, it has also offended the basic principles of equality and fairness that are the foundation of our legal system.”

“It makes little sense that a couple could be eligible for benefits on active duty, only to be denied earned benefits after taking off the uniform,” said MOAA’s Director of Government Relations, Col. Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret). “The VA’s ruling helps standardize the delivery of benefits for veterans and their families across the country.”

Issue 3.  MOAA BACKS VETERANS’ BILLS

July 2, 2015

Congress is currently working on several important veterans’ bills. Please take a moment to send your elected officials a MOAA-suggested message on the following pieces of legislation:

S.1085 : Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act. This bill provides veterans of all eras eligibility for a full range of caregiver support services through the VA.

1. 469: Women Veterans and Families Health Services Act.This bill improves reproductive assistance provided by DoD and VA to severely wounded, ill, or injured members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their spouses or partners.
2. 901: Toxic Exposure Research Act.This bill establishes a national center for research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions for the descendants of veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during service in the Armed Forces.

Note: MOAA recommended substituting the term “Uniformed Services” for “Armed Forces” to ensure that research conducted at a designated VA Medical Center is applicable to commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and NOAA Corps.

1. 1641: Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act.This important bill keeps veterans safe by providing the VA with the necessary tools to provide effective pain management services.

H.R. 303:  Concurrent receipt . This longstanding, top MOAA priority authorizes full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation for retirees with regular or Guard/Reserve retirements, regardless of disability rating.

H.R. 1384: Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Retirees Act. This bill would grant veteran status to members of the Reserve Components who served a career of 20 years or more and are military retirees, but who are not recognized by the government as “veterans” because of no service under active duty orders.

Note: H.R. 1384 was adopted as a provision in the House version of the FY 2016 defense bill and will be up for debate when House and Senate lawmakers meet later this month.

MOAA thanks the committees and the members who sponsored or co-sponsored the above bills.

Here is the Process:  If the steps below are new to some, I recommend that you review all of the steps and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

1. Click here onhttp://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/ or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at the  “Legislative Action Center” screen.
2. Scroll downunder “Current Action Alerts” and click on Reject Military Pay and Benefits Cuts
3. At the next screen enter your Zip code if requested and/orhit “Go!” and/or scroll down to “Take Action”  and at “Compose Message” leave ‘Email‘ checked or check ‘Printed Letter‘  to send  Printed Letters instead of sending Emails if desired .
4. If an  “Issue Area:”line appears just before the Editable Text: and doesn’t have an issue shown, click on the down arrow and select an issue; e. g., Military, Veterans Affairs, etc. (usually required on messages to our Senators)
5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” areaand edit/modify the text of the message if desired.
6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION. The “Phone”number is now required by some Legislators (it’s required if your Senator is from Arizona) .  Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
7. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
8. Check ‘Yes‘ or ‘No‘ as to whether you want to have a copy of your letter sent to your Email Address (suggested at least for you initial efforts, and to see how your personal data is included in the message).
9. Hit “Send Message”
10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 3 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.
11. For Arizona residents, because of some current problems with contacting Sen Flake by Email,you will see after hitting “Send Message” at Step 9 above, that “Printed Letter” is the most readily observable option for getting your message to him. Step 10 above tells you how to do that.

 

NOTE:

Below is a message that I sent to Senator Flake today to try to resolve that problem:

 

Senator,

I have been in contact with your staff and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) staff in an attempt to find out and resolve the issue of your office not accepting messages generated by http://capwiz.com/ for the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the Military Coalition (TMC) for forwarding to our Legislators by Military Retirees and other Veterans. And while the process provides a rather time consuming process for mailing hard copies of the messages or through your Email contact system that I am using for this message, you are the only Arizona Legislator that refuses to accept Email messages through the MOAA capwiz process, and I and other Military Retirees and Veterans would greatly appreciate your help in getting this problem resolved.

 

Respectfully,

 

Gene Fenstermacher,

Colonel (USAF Retired)

 

Below is this week’s Legislative Update Action Item:

 

As the defense bill is being decided in conference, please reject the following proposals that unfairly target the currently serving community:

 

– A third consecutive year of capping military pay raises below what current law mandates

– Forcing currently serving families to pay 5 percent out-of-pocket for their housing

– Cutting a quarter of the commissary funding

– Another year of disproportionately high pharmacy fee increases

 

These long-term plans repeat many of the poor cost-cutting decisions that led to the retention problem in the late 1990s when servicemembers suffered a 13.5% pay gap and were forced to cover 20% of their housing costs out-of-pocket.

 

As your constituent, please reject these disastrous provisions in the FY 2016 defense bill.

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

We have No Action Items today

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see SUPREME COURT RULES ON HEALTH CARE. Supreme Court issues landmark decision on health care. What does this mean for TRICARE? (See Issue 1 below for the details. GF)

 

At Issue 2. we see DATA BREACH NOTIFICATIONS SENT. Millions of OPM records accessed by hackers.. Extent of the damage still not fully understood. (See Issue 2 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 3. we see BUDGET SHORTFALL THREATENS VETERANS HEALTH CARE. Unexpected rise in health care demand strains VA budget.. Will Congress give the VA another bailout? (See Issue 3 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 4. we see MOAA ATTENDS MISSION TRANSITION EVENT . Career transition event hosted for post-9/11 veterans and military families. (See Issue 4 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 5. we see DOD WANTS YOUR INPUT ON MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM. TRICARE aims to improve transparency. (See Issue 5 below for the details. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

Issue 1. SUPREME COURT RULES ON HEALTH CARE

June 26, 2015

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can continue to provide subsidies for health insurance to qualifying individuals. The decision upheld a centerpiece of the ACA and national health care reform.

The issue before the Court was whether individuals purchasing health care insurance through federally run exchange systems, rather than state run exchanges, are eligible to receive subsidies. Thirty-four states currently rely on the federal marketplace for health insurance plans.

TRICARE beneficiaries are unaffected by the decision. At the urging of MOAA and other military and veterans organizations, Congress passed the TRICARE Affirmation Act in April 2010, providing a statutory regulation saying that TRICARE satisfies the minimum essential coverage requirements of the ACA. Congress passed subsequent legislation a month later to exempt VA and CHAMPVA beneficiaries from the coverage requirements. These plans are also excluded from so-called “Cadillac taxes” on high-value plans.

Importantly, the ACA will not affect TRICARE or the VA’s health administration, eligibility, or cost to beneficiaries.

MOAA’s focus remains on safeguarding military and VA beneficiaries’ health care benefits, protecting against taxation of those benefits, improving access to providers, and ensuring long-term sustainability of Medicare and TRICARE. Our mission is to make sure government leaders in both the executive and legislative branches understand the important distinction between social insurance programs like Medicare and Social Security and earned compensation for a career of military service and sacrifice.

MOAA will continue to track the ACA and ensure that military and VA beneficiaries are not negatively impacted.

Issue 2. DATA BREACH NOTIFICATIONS SENT

June 26, 2015

A cyberattack on the Office of Personnel Management exposed sensitive information of millions of Americans.

It is currently unclear exactly how many are affected by the data breach; some reports speculate as many as 32 million people have been victimized by the attack. So far, officials at OPM have confirmed at least 4 million government workers had their personal information compromised.

The ongoing investigation has revealed military records were not involved in the breach; however, the personnel records of current, former, and prospective federal employees’ and some contractors’ background investigations may have been compromised.

OPM’s investigation continues with the help of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

OPM is offering free credit-monitoring services, similar to MOAA’s Identity Guard , to affected employees. So far, the services have cost the government $20 million.

DoD is the largest federal employer of military veterans. About forty percent of all DoD civilians are veterans.

MOAA remains very concerned over the OPM data breach. “It’s not only a violation of federal employee information,” said MOAA’s Director of Government Relations, Col. Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret), “but also an incursion into the privacy of many of our members who transitioned to the federal workforce.”

We appeal to Congress and the administration to complete a thorough investigation and implement actions to prevent further breaches.

Issue 3.  BUDGET SHORTFALL THREATENS VETERANS HEALTH CARE

June 26, 2015

The VA is facing a $2.6 billion budget deficit this year, according to VA officials. Sloan Gibson, Deputy Secretary of the VA, told lawmakers the department needs the money to bridge the gap of the projected shortfall.

According to Gibson, the budget deficit is largely a result of increased demand for care outside of VA facilities and the rising costs of expensive hepatitis C treatments. A full round of hepatitis C treatments can run upwards of $100,000.

But Congress may not be so quick to hand over the money. Citing a “startling lack of transparency and accountability,” House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) told Gibson he was frustrated with cost overruns and delays with other VA projects, notably construction projects at medical facilities in Colorado.

VA officials also discussed their efforts to improve Community Care Programs.  Including the Veterans Choice Program, seven different programs provide non-VA care. Each program comes with a different authorization process and a different set of authorities.

Gibson stressed that the outside care programs need to be reconciled and streamlined. He also asked the committee to remove some of the congressionally placed restrictions on how the VA can spend money on Community Care Programs. Without the budget flexibility, Gibson said the VA “will have to deny care to veterans, a position we don’t want to be in.”

MOAA believes Congress must work with the VA to ensure the department has the necessary resources to meet veterans’ health care needs.

Issue 4. MOAA ATTENDS MISSION TRANSITION EVENT 

Career transition event hosted for post-9/11 veterans and military families.

Former President George W. Bush pledges support.

(Click on  MOAA ATTENDS MISSION TRANSITION EVENT  here or above to see the details. GF)

Issue 5. DOD WANTS YOUR INPUT ON MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM.

TRICARE aims to improve transparency..

Your feedback is important – take their survey to provide your input

(Click on  DOD WANTS YOUR INPUT ON MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM  here or above to see the details and participate in the survey. GF)

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!