washingtonscene
If that fails, and if Congress fails to pass an alternative package to save an equal amount by the end of the year, the new deficit-reduction law imposes an automatic trigger mechanism (sequestration) that will cut at least an additional $500 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years. A House Armed Services Committee
report asserts these cuts would degrade readiness and require force reductions of thousands of military personnel. MOAA agrees with the House Armed Services Committee.
Shutdown A
Looms An extension is needed by Nov. 18.
s this article went to press, legislators hadn’t passed a single one of the 13 appropriations bills
required to fund the government for the new fiscal year that started Oct. 1. With a week to go before that deadline, they couldn’t even agree on an interim continuing resolution to keep the govern- ment from shutting down Oct. 1. And Congress was scheduled to go into
recess for the last week in September. What’s wrong with this picture? On Sept. 21, the House rejected its lead-
ership’s first proposed continuing resolu- tion (H.R. 2608). On Sept. 23, the House passed an up-
dated resolution aimed at keeping the fed- eral government running through Nov. 18. It would continue government funding at $1.04 trillion — a 1.4-percent cut from the FY 2011 funding level. But Senate leaders called the House- passed bill “dead on arrival” because of differences over the amount of disaster aid sought by the two chambers and because
38 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2011
of a controversial funding offset provision in the House bill. Unfortunately, Congress’ funding squabbles could again raise the potential of putting military pay in jeopardy. Earlier this year, Reps. Louie Gohmert
(R-Texas) and Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) intro- duced the “Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011” (H.R. 1297), which would continue pay and allowances for active and reserve-component forces in the event of a government shutdown. The bill has 204 cosponsors represent- ing both sides of the aisle, but it remains stuck in two committees. So Gohmert has filed a discharge petition to force action on the floor. If 218 members sign the petition, the
bill must be brought to the floor for action. MOAA believes servicemembers and their families deserve better than to be used as pawns in legislators’ political brinksmanship games. At press time, MOAA was urging leg- islators to sign Gohmert’s discharge peti- tion on H.R. 1297.
Maryland Hosts
Lawmakers Council holds its first Capitol Hill luncheon.
O
n Sept. 14, MOAA’s Maryland Council of Chapters hosted its congressional delegation for a
lunch discussion on Capitol Hill. Seven legislators spoke to more than 60 Mary- land and national MOAA leaders at the event. Council leaders thanked them for their support to date and provided MOAA fact sheets on current budget issues, in- cluding retirement and health care. This is the first-ever congressional lun- cheon for the Maryland council. MOAA’s
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