washingtonscene
LEGISLATIVE NEWS
THAT AFFECTS YOU
Final Push
As House and Senate negotiations begin on the FY 2010 Defense
Authorization Bill, MOAA and The Military Coalition provide
recommendations on key personnel and benefi t priorities.
M
OAA and The Military in tobacco legislation enacted earlier this
When Will the De-
Coalition (TMC) sent year, but those would bring no relief until
fense Bill Be Done?
letters to House and Sen- FY 2014. Congressional leaders repeatedly ■ The bill always seems
ate Armed Services com- have cited fi xing this “widow’s tax” as a top
to include a controversial
mittee leaders in August, priority, and aggressive action is essential
issue that causes delays.
In the past 10 years,
outlining recommendations to resolve to address that commitment.
the bill was finished in
dozens of differences between the House- reserve retirement-age credit for post-
October only four times;
and Senate-passed versions of the FY 2010 Sept. 11, 2001, active service: Support the four other years, it was
Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 2647 and Senate provision that would provide retro-
December or later.
S. 1390, respectively). active credit for active service since Sept.
The TMC package provided a 20-page 11, 2001, for the purpose of reducing the
matrix of specifi cs, with a cover letter reserve retirement age. Current law autho-
highlighting the following top priorities: rizes a three-month reduction in the stan-
manpower levels: Support the Senate dard retirement age for each cumulative 90
provision that would authorize a 30,000 days served on active duty but credits only
troop increase for the Army beginning active service rendered since Jan. 28, 2008.
in FY 2010 rather than waiting until FY Hundreds of thousands of guardmembers
2011. These additional troops are needed and reservists served one or more combat
as soon as possible to ease operations tours between 2001 and 2008, and this and
tempo stresses on servicemembers and other qualifying service during the current
their families and better meet the needs confl ict merit equal retirement-age credit.
of commanders in the fi eld. mental health assessments: Support
concurrent receipt: Support the House the Senate provision requiring person-
provision to phase out the disability offset to-person mental health assessments for
to military retired pay for all servicemem- servicemembers deployed in support of a
bers whose service-caused illnesses and in- contingency operation. This is the single
juries forced them to medically retire from most important initiative in helping to
active service. This plan was a key feature of detect and address PTSD, suicidal tenden-
President Obama’s defense budget submis- cies, and other potential service-caused
sion and deserves priority support. behavioral problems.
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP): Support the TRICARE fees: Support retention of
Senate provision that would end deduction the Senate “Sense of Congress” provision
of Dependency and Indemnity Compensa- acknowledging military health care is a
tion (DIC) from SBP annuities when the primary offset for the unique demands
servicemember’s death is service-caused. and sacrifi ces inherent in a military ca-
There were some very modest adjustments reer; career servicemembers have earned
NOVEMBER 2009 MILITARY OFFICER 33
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