Newsletter: September 2008
Federal Legislative Update
by Dave Casteel
As you read this, your elected representatives are returning to Washington DC after their August recess to take up important business, namely the FY 2009 Defense Authorization Bill. This annual bill contains provisions essential to active duty, guard, reserve, as well as veteran and retiree issues.
This year is no exception. Military manpower levels are proposed to increase for the Army, Marines, and Army National Guard, while Navy and Air Force strength levels would decrease. Overall, this would result in a net decrease. Is this wise especially as our former foe Russia is militarily aggressive? Isn't this a time for the USA to show firm resolve from a position of strength? We need to demonstrate to the world we are not cutting our military, but instead supporting and strengthening it.
Also, on the table again is the huge TRICARE and pharmacy fee increase proposed by DOD. Senate Bill S. 3001 opposes these increases and in the House of Representatives, House Resolution HR. 5658 would bar any increases before Sep 30, 2009. Congress needs to fix this once and for all and quit kicking the can down the road one year at a time. If it is tough to do now, it will be increasingly tougher each year they delay to implement a solution (as we saw with Medicare cuts) as more and more unfinished business will need to be dealt with. Can you imagine running your business like this? Encourage your representatives to take a firm stand now and stop this unfair increase once and for all.
Of course, there are many other provisions in the FY 2009 Def Auth Bill such as correcting the unfair SBP/DIC offset. The current law penalizes widows of active duty and retired service members with SBP who die from a service connected disability. Instead of getting both SBP and DIC (which is $1091 per month), the widow receives only SBP minus DIC (or DIC, whichever is greater). The widow should receive both, as one (SBP) is paid for years of service and DIC is for service connected death. Even the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission chartered by Congress stated: "It should be permissible to receive both sets of benefits concurrently." Their logic is that "...SBP is based on years of service, and DIC is intended to compensate for death attributable to military service."
Whatever your position is on these issues, your elected representatives deserve to know your viewpoint so they can properly represent and serve their constituents. Please share your views with them. The easiest way is to call the MOAA toll free hot line at 1-866-272-6622. Remember, your representative does not know your position on the issue unless you tell them. Call today.
Washington State Legislative Update
by John Donnelly
One of the great things about MOAA Chapters is the grass roots support they provide National MOAA to fight for Veteran's/Military issues on Capitol Hill. National MOAA provides the chapter members with great ammunition to talk to their congressional representatives though its superb website, weekly legislative updates and legislative alerts when critical votes are needed.
We can have the same impact at state level and our state council is trying to get us up to speed on the veteran's issues being considered in Olympia each year. Our council has a representative to the Veterans Legislative Coalition, (VLC), which prioritizes veteran's issues and meets with state representatives when the legislature is in session. Ken Deich is the rep to the VLC for MOAA and he provides a good listing of veteran's issues to each of the chapters for our action.
This year the State President, Merle Gorton, asked if I would serve as one of three MOAA reps to work with Ken Deich on state veterans issues.
I will try to get the issues and priorities to you in a timely manner so we can approach our local reps to Olympia and get them to vote for veterans issues. Although the legislature does not convene until 7 January 2009, we have an excellent opportunity coming up at our October meeting.
Beth Brown has lined up Rep. Jim Moeller as our program for the brunch we will have on Saturday, 11 October. Rep Moeller is on several committees in Olympia, but most importantly, he is the Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs and also serves on the Rules Committee. Thus he will be briefed on all of the veteran's bills before the state legislature and the VLC will be talking to him about our priorities. The VLC will also be talking to him as a rep on the Rules Committee as no bill is voted on by the House until it passes this committee.
Since it is a new legislative session, all bills have to be resubmitted, budgeted, and massaged for the upcoming session. The bills submitted last session ranged from property tax relief for veterans, to veterans owned businesses breaks to Armed Forces license plates to Veterans' scoring criteria for state jobs to County Veterans assistance.
Early this summer the Mt. Rainier MOAA Chapter put together a list of Legislative priorities, which I have included as an attachment to this article. As you can see, the issues are varied and wide-ranging. But they will only remain issues until a bill is written and sponsored by a state representative. That is where we can help.
The VLC will be meeting mid-September to discuss possible priorities for the upcoming session. Ken Deich, our MOAA rep to the VLC, will brief the state council, WSCOC, on 4 October at their fall meeting. I will get their recommendations out to our members as soon as possible and in time for us to express our concerns to Rep Moeller at our October meeting. If we can find an issue that the chapter can get behind we could tackle the job of writing the legislative bill, (perhaps with the help of Rep Moeller's legislative assistant) and get Rep Moeller to sponsor it in the House. More to follow!
Mt Rainier Chapter, MOAA LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES - 2009
1. Do No Harm to Service Members when called to serve the State or Nation. Focus on Active Duty, NG and Reserves. A general policy needs to be adopted which advises all WA State Agencies that issue licenses and/or certificates to acknowledge the value of service to our state and nation by providing a grace period on all license and certificate expirations held by Washington State Residents for the period of their service plus six months (to rest, recover and prepare for retesting). The policy needs to provide a means for these returning Professionals (Real Estate Agents, Nurses, Financial Consultants, Brokers, and Pilots) to resuming full civilian employment as rapidly as they can "test out" of all outstanding requirements. Each agency will be required to develop their own 'Best Practices' with timelines and criteria. The policy will advise Counties and WA State agencies to put service members returning from out of state service on a fast track for renewal with no fines or late fees assessed for missing original renewal dates. This approach acknowledges the fact that there are select specialties with life and death implications that will require special procedures.
2. Recognizing the value of Uniformed Service Skill Sets. A WA State policy needs to be adopted and procedures developed to allow service members separating from the uniformed services to be tested out at State Supported Trade Schools and Higher Education Institutions to give full credit for, and recognition of, skill sets and education acquired while in service. This will provide employers with young, responsible employees with training and skill sets faster and with less expense to the individual, employer and the institutions.
3. Washington's Drivers License Program needs to be part of the Solution for Homeland Defense, National Defense and Identity Theft. With recent arrests of terrorists trying to assault Ft Dix, NJ induction center, increased ID theft, increased border crossings of illegals having a trusted ID system in place takes on increased importance as a homeland and national defense issue. This issue also has support in the business community because of ID Theft and Fraud using false ID's.
4. Expand the Do No Harm Concept. The Do No Harm Concept should be extended to include decisions involving permanent custody of dependent children or parents (Watch emerging Federal Legislation).
5. The RCW mileage rates should be given clear precedence over the I-747 limits. HB 1189 and the change of the definition of 'Veteran' have substantially increased the scope of services provided and the population being served by the County Veteran Assistance Funds. The floor and ceiling mileage rates established by RCW would probably meet all current county requirements and allow the flexibility each county needs for their particular needs. A clear statement by the legislature that the RCW takes precedence over I-747 limits should resolve this issue.
6. Compliance with existing laws. Bob Lawrence to develop this issue.
7. State wide initiative for Homeless and Incarcerated Veterans. Issue Legislative Resolution that counties will use successful programs as models to develop programs that address their specific homeless and incarcerated veteran issues. Monitor progress in all counties through CVC and WDVA.
8. Support of Gold Star Wives and their dependents. 1. Monitor compliance with and costs of Tuition Waivers (SB5002). 2. GSW should receive same property tax benefits as 100% disabled. 3. Health care premium support for GSW should be at the same level as survivors of Firemen and Police killed in the line of duty. 4. Identify education expenses not covered by SB5002. Patriots Pride and other Private Foundations may cover these expenses. Gold Star Wives have lead role in developing these issues.