washington scene LEGISLATIVE NEWS THAT AFFECTS YOU
Defense Delay
A Senate impasse sets up an end-of-year scramble to finish the FY 2014 Defense Authorization Bill, with many critical MOAA-supported amendments hanging in the balance.
The Senate reached an impasse in November 2013 during negotiations on the FY 2014 Defense Authorization Bill over two particularly contentious issues: proposals on handling detainees at Guantanamo Bay and combating military sexual assault.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) attempted to end debate before the Thanksgiving break and vote on the bill without considering more than 500 proposed amendments, but his effort was defeated by senators who wanted to continue debate and consider even more amendments to the bill.
That means the Senate still could consider important amendments, including:
■ restoring a full 1.8-percent military pay raise in 2014;
■ ending the Survivor Benefit Plan/Dependency and Indemnity Compensation offset;
■ expanding concurrent receipt; and
■ protecting access to TRICARE Prime.
The impasse left the Senate with only one week after Thanksgiving to work out its version of the defense bill and then conference with the House before the end of the year.
To further complicate matters, the White House again is pushing to cap military pay and increase TRICARE fees.
MOAA continues to be the voice of the military and veterans’ community, and in support of the 1.8-percent pay raise amendment, MOAA ran a full-page ad two consecutive days in The Hill newspaper to urge support on Capitol Hill.
MOAA Named Top Lobbyist
The Hill, the largest-circulation newspaper on Capitol Hill, has once again included MOAA in its annual list of top lobbyists. This is the seventh straight year MOAA has made the list.
Defense Budget Targets
The CBO outlines possible cuts.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a new report, “Options for Reducing the Deficit,” that includes an array of spending cuts and revenue-increasing options for FY 2014 and beyond.
Options outlined that would affect the American population at large include:
■ raising the age of Medicare eligibility to 67;
■ increasing Medicare Part B premiums for all beneficiaries;
■ raising the full retirement age and the earliest eligible age for Social Security;
■ reducing Social Security benefits by 15 percent for new beneficiaries; and
■ changing the COLA formula for adjusting Social Security benefits.
Options aimed more specifically at military and veterans’ programs include:
■ significantly reducing all services’ manpower;
■ capping annual military pay raises at 0.5 percent below the average American’s;
■ raising out-of-pocket costs for TRICARE For Life by up to $6,000 a year per married couple;
JANUARY 2014 MILITARY OFFICER 35
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