This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
washingtonscene


LEGISLATIVE NEWS THAT AFFECTS YOU COLA Vote?


Nearly half of Congress supports legislation to repeal COLA cuts, and a vote could be on the way on one proposal that includes many major MOAA priorities.


S


ince the enactment of the Bi- partisan Budget Act of 2013 (BBA) in late December 2013,


many members on both sides of the aisle have lined up to support legislation to re- peal the COLA cut. As of early February, more than 250 legislators had signed on to cosponsor repeal legislation — 50 senators and more than 200 representatives had announced support. Support in the Senate is distributed


evenly, with 24 Republicans, 24 Demo- crats, and two Independents. In the House, 76 Democrats and 126 Re- publicans support repeal proposals. However, there is little consensus on


how, or whether, to pay for repeal. All of the proposals fully repeal the COLA cuts, but examples of how to pay for it range from closing tax loopholes for certain corporations to cutting foreign aid to Egypt and Pakistan. Other plans simply add to the deficit. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid


(D-Nev.) indicated he planned in late January to bring to the Senate floor a bill (S. 1982) that includes a full repeal of the military retired pay COLA cuts estab- lished in the BBA.


The bill combines Senate omnibus vet-


erans’ benefits bills with a full repeal of the COLA cuts. An offset to pay for the fix has not yet been identified. The new bill incorporates repeal of the unfair 1-percentage-point COLA re- duction for working-age military retirees


and currently serving members estab- lished in the BBA. It also addresses a number of major


MOAA priorities for veterans, including:  extending advance appropriations for all VA accounts;  authorizing in-state tuition rates at pub- lic colleges for all student veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill;  honoring as veterans certain career reserve members eligible for reserve retired pay;  authorizing Iraq and Afghanistan sur- viving spouses eligibility for the Post- 9/11 GI Bill via the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship;  allowing eligible survivors who remar- ry at age 55 to retain Dependency and Indemnity Compensation;  improving care and services for veter- ans who were sexually assaulted during military service;  extending from five to 10 years VA health care enrollment opportunity for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans;  renewing the Veterans Retraining Assis- tance Program of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act; and  requiring more timely VA claims back- log reporting. MOAA is calling on legislators to find a bipartisan solution to the funding dilemma and immediately repeal the COLA cuts. To contact your legislators, visit www


.moaa.org/action. MARCH 2014 MILITARY OFFICER 33


Stay in the Know Sign up for MOAA’s weekly Legislative Update e-newsletter at www.moaa.org/email to get up-to-date informa- tion on COLA cuts and learn about other leg- islation that affects the military community.


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  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124