washingtonscene If the change causes you some prob-
lem, you can submit an IRS form W-4 to DFAS or your pay agency to change your withholding amount. Changes also can be made to DFAS using the online “My Pay” system. Remember, changing your withholding
won’t change your actual 2011 tax liability. If you have too little withheld, you’ll have to pony up the rest (and any applicable pen- alty, if you under-withheld too much) when you file your 2011 federal income taxes.
Protecting War-
Fighter Rights Hearing targets mortgage practices.
N
ew House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair Jeff Miller (R- Fla.) held his first hearing Feb. 9
on the protections guaranteed under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Miller said Congress has a duty to ensure the law is “working to protect war-fighters.” Capt. and Mrs. Jonathon Rowles,
USMC, and their attorney presented dra- matic testimony regarding a still-unre- solved battle with JP Morgan Chase bank over the bank’s refusal to honor the SCRA- mandated ceiling of 6 percent on mortgage interest payments for activated troops. The bank refused to abide by the law
and harassed the couple for five years, de- manding repeated copies of their orders, then denying the orders’ validity and de- manding full interest payments. Financial and legal protections for troops called to active duty first were enacted early in World War II. Congress adopted expanded protections under the SCRA after Sept. 11, 2001, to allow servicemembers to terminate apartment and automobile leases and cancel cell phone contracts without
*online: Access the DFAS “My Pay” system at
https://mypay.dfas.mil. 38 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2011
penalty as a result of a permanent change of duty station or deployment. Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), an Iraq war
veteran and retired Army National Guard sergeant major, and other panel members on both sides sharply criticized JP Morgan Chase’s failure to follow the law. Holly Petraeus, head of the new Servicemembers Affairs Office of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Implementation Team and spouse of Gen. David Petraeus, USA, testified that financial worries are the second-biggest stressor on military families. In 2010, MOAA supported further
strengthening the SCRA to let service- members sue for damages in a federal court when their rights are trampled. The need for that protection arose when a bank foreclosed on the home of a National Guard sergeant and evicted his family while he was deployed to Iraq. MOAA will continue to support stiffer penalties and enforcement mechanisms under the SCRA.
Focus on O
Military Families White House report cites commitments.
n Jan. 24, MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., was invited to attend a White
House event at which President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and Dr. Jill Biden revealed a long-awaited report — “Strengthening our Military Families: Meeting America’s Commitment.” The report lays out the details of a
government-wide approach to support- ing and strengthening military families. It first was announced by Michelle Obama in May 2010.
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