washingtonscene
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved its version of the FY 2011 Defense Authorization Bill, including action on military pay, health care, and wounded-warrior protections.
ast month, we reported the House of Representatives passed its version of the FY 2011 Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 5136). Subsequently,
the Senate Armed Services Committee ap- proved its draft of the Senate version of the defense bill (S. 3406). Like the House bill, it
would repeal DoD’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy if the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the secretary of de- fense, and the president all certify the repeal is “consis- tent with military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting.” The biggest surprise was
the Senate endorsed the Pentagon-proposed 1.4-per- cent military pay raise rather than the 1.9-percent raise in the House-passed defense bill. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said the committee is considering additional targeted raises in lieu of a larger across-the-board increase. MOAA supports the 1.9-percent raise
A 1.4- percent pay raise — the smallest in nearly 50 years — sends the wrong message.
n continued TRICARE coverage for chil- dren of military beneficiaries until age 26, if they have no employer coverage; n a monthly stipend for caregivers of wounded warriors still on active duty, to match the stipend authorized by the VA for caregivers of disabled veterans; n prohibition of administra- tive separation based on medical conditions deemed by an evaluation board as not rendering the service- member unfit for duty; n authority for expedited se- curity clearance background investigations for wounded warriors and spouses seek- ing employment with DoD or DoD contractors; n $45 million in aid to civilian schools serving significant numbers of military children; n travel allowances for ser-
endorsed by the House. When the country is asking our troops and their families for the greatest sacrifices in more than a half- century, a 1.4-percent raise — the smallest in nearly 50 years — sends the wrong message. Other important initiatives in the Sen- ate bill include:
vicemembers and up to three designees per servicemember to attend Yellow Rib- bon Reintegration Program events; n authority to commission W-1s (the only officers now ineligible for commissions); n prohibition of any inpatient TRICARE copayment increase during FY 2011; n requirements for improved and consis- tent pre- and post-deployment cognitive assessments and a DoD report on cogni- tive rehabilitation therapy for troops suf- fering from traumatic brain injury;
AU G U S T 2 0 1 0 MI L I T A R Y O F F I C E R 3 1
L E G I S LAT IVE NEWS THAT AF F ECTS YOU
L Defense Bill Details
MOAA Named “Top Lobbyist”
n The Hill, the largest- circulation newspaper on Capitol Hill, has published its annual list of “Top Lobbyists,” and for the fourth consecutive year, MOAA’s Government Relations team is the only military or veterans’ group on the list.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92