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LEGISLATIVE NEWS
THAT AFFECTS YOU
Senate On Defense
Concurrent receipt amendment is dropped, but others would
increase force levels, eliminate survivor compensation penalties,
amend reserve retirement, and protect absentee voting rights.
A
fter more than a week in the amendment’s adoption. Thank you to What’s Next on the
of debate and consider- all who participated in this time-sensitive Defense Bill?
ation of more than 300 action to help military survivors.
■ House and Senate
amendments, the Senate We’re pleased that several other MOAA-
leaders will convene a
passed its version of the FY supported amendments were adopted by
conference committee to
2010 National Defense Authorization Bill the Senate, including: negotiate the many differ-
(S. 1390) July 23 by a vote of 87-7. Army manpower: Sen. Joe Lieberman’s
ences between the House-
One key amendment was Sen. Bill Nel- (Ind.-Conn.) amendment would increase
and Senate-passed bills.
In the past, it’s taken until
son’s (D-Fla.) initiative to end the deduction Army force levels by 30,000, starting in
October or November to
of VA Dependency and Indemnity Compen- FY 2010. Its adoption by the Senate was
get a final bill passed.
sation (DIC) from military Survivor Benefi t another gratifying victory. MOAA felt
Plan (SBP) annuities. Upon learning at 8 strongly enough about the importance
a.m. July 21 the amendment would be con- of increasing Army manpower to ease
sidered that same afternoon, MOAA sent the terrible deployment burdens on
out a special alert to Legislative Update sub- troops and families that the association
scribers. This alert generated nearly 13,000 purchased a full-page ad in The Hill, a
messages to the Senate in support of the widely read Capitol Hill newspaper, urg-
amendment in less than six hours, resulting ing adoption of the amendment.
TRICARE fees: Sen. Frank Lauten-
berg’s (D-N.J.) amendment emphasizes
the need to sustain a military health ben-
efi t consistent with the unique demands
and sacrifi ces inherent in a military
career as well as the need to fi nd other
ways of cutting DoD health costs besides
shifting costs to retirees.
reserve retirement: Sens. John Kerry
(D-Mass.) and Saxby Chambliss’ (R-Ga.)
amendment would reduce the reserve
retirement age by three months for each
90 days of cumulative active duty since
Sept. 11, 2001. Under current law, only
MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb active service after Jan. 28, 2008, quali-
Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., right, strategizes fi es for such credit.
with Sen. Joe Lieberman (Ind.-Conn.) on absentee voting: Sen. Charles Schum-
adding 30,000 to the Army’s strength. er’s (D-N.Y.) amendment, with input
PHOTO: NANCY WOODWORTH CARR SEPTEMBER 2009 MILITARY OFFICER 33
SSept_scene.indd
33ept_scene.indd 33 88/10/09 3:43 PM/10/09 3:43 PM
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