fromthepresident
Walking the Walk
Military Spouse Appreciation Day falls on May 8 this
year — but your association supports and appreciates the
contributions of military spouses and families all year long.
M
OAA is proud of its re- gress to expand the provision
cord of legislative vic- to include active duty family
tories that help military members. No bill has been in-
personnel live more fulfi ll- troduced, as of press time.
ing lives — including mili- MOAA also continues to
tary spouses, families, and survivors — such fi ght for repeal of the SBP/
as TRICARE For Life, an end to the Sur- Dependency and Indemnity
vivor Benefi t Plan (SBP) age-62 “widow’s Compensation offset, which
tax” offset, and transferability of the Post- penalizes 55,000 surviving
9/11 GI Bill. Last year, MOAA successfully spouses, through S. 535 and
encouraged approval of a spousal moving H.R. 775. We took another
allowance and spouse career support. step toward our goal April 1,
We’re working on more legislation this when the House passed H.R.
year. Active duty servicemembers long have 1804, a proposal from Armed
been able to declare their home of record as Services Committee Chair
their domicile when they move pursuant to Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) to
orders. But a move to a new state requires incrementally reduce the
spouses to reregister to vote and deal with offset. “This legislation is the
other administrative hassles; it might re- latest step in our … effort to eliminate the
quire them to pay state income taxes and so-called ‘widow’s tax’ ” and provide full
could discourage them from putting their payment of their SBP, Skelton said.
name on personal property. MOAA sup- First Lady Michelle Obama is on the
ports Rep. John Carter’s (R-Texas) reintro- mark when she recognizes the important
duction of the Military Spouse Residency roles played by military spouses and fami-
Relief Act (H.R. 1182). Sens. Richard Burr lies. On a recent trip to Fort Bragg, N.C.,
(R-N.C.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) she said, “Military families have done their
cosponsored the companion bill (S. 475). duty, and we as a grateful nation must
In 2008, the Department of Labor do ours. We must do everything in our
took most of MOAA’s recommendations power to honor them by supporting them.”
regarding qualifying reasons for military MOAA couldn’t agree more. Please contact
spouses, children, and parents to take up your legislators about these spouse issues
to 12 weeks’ unpaid leave (related to a via
http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills.
deployment) from private-sector compa-
nies under the Family and Medical Leave
Act. MOAA is pleased this mechanism is
available to family members of reserve
component personnel, but we want Con- — Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.
1 2 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R M AY 2 0 0 9 PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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