Home News

11-9-12

URGENT: Contact Legislators on Short Session

Congress will return to Washington on November 13, 2012, for a limited number of days to face an exceedingly jam-packed, post-election ‘lame duck’ session.  Many issues need to be addressed before the January 1, 2013, when automatic budget cuts (sequestration) take effect. This so-called “fiscal cliff” includes drastic cuts to the Defense budget and 27-percent reductions to Medicare and TRICARE reimbursement rates.

Shipmates are urged to use the FRA Action Center  to contact their elected officials and ask them to:

• Exclude the Department of Defense (DoD) from sequestration cuts that are scheduled to take effect in January 1, 2013 (Urge support for HR 3662 & S. 2056);
• Stop cuts to reimbursement rates for physicians who see Medicare/TRICARE patients by making the “Doc Fix” permanent (Ask support for HR 5707);
• Oppose enactment of a special commission to cut retirement benefits and active duty pay as proposed in the Senate Defense Authorization bill (S. 3254);
• Prevent drastic pharmacy co-pay increases being considered in the Senate Defense Authorization bill (S. 3254); and
• Urge support for language in the House Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 4310) that would limit pharmacy co-pay increases to the percentage increase in annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) in retired pay and authorize a TRICARE for Life (TFL) home-delivery pilot program.   

The FRA Action Center provides pre-written messages on these and other important legislative issues that can be edited by the sender. Sending Action Center e-mails to your elected officials complements the Association’s legislative efforts on Capitol Hill.