NewsBytes April 8, 2022
In this issue:
DoD Wants $1 Billion More for Hawaii Water Cleanup
Oversighting Hearing on DHA Quality of Care
House Approves Bill to Make Binding Arbitration Unenforceable
First Woman Nominated for USCG Commandant
U.S. Navy Submarine Day
DoD Wants $1 Billion More for Hawaii Water Cleanup
The FY2023 Defense budget asks for $1 billion for expenses related to the fuel-tainted water in Hawaii. The money would address the continuing needs of military families, drain the fuel storage tanks and provide more cleanup. The new “Red Hill Recovery Fund” in the fiscal 2023 budget request is in addition to the $1 billion that Congress has already provided to deal with the effects of the fuel leak. The $1 billion flexible funding would allow DoD to start to address the draining of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, built in 1943, as well as address the needs of military families.
HASC-MP Holds Oversighting Hearing on DHA Quality of Care
The House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee (HASC-MP) held an oversight hearing on the quality of care of the Defense Health Agency. The taxpayers spend more than $50 billion each year on the Military Health System, which provides health care services to 9.6 million beneficiaries, including servicemembers, retirees and dependents. This sizeable investment should provide timely, safe, high-quality care.
The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) reorganized the military health system and standardized clinical quality processes. Before the reform, the Army, Navy, and Air Force each operated separate health care systems, and the military had 24 different policies on patient safety and quality of care. Now, the Defense Health Agency oversees all medical treatment facilities and, since 2019, the DoD has a single policy on patient safety and quality of care. According to Sharon Silas Director of the Health Care Team for the Government Accountability Office (GAO), there no evidence that real improvement has occurred. She stated: “In fact, I hear too often about medical errors that cause grievous harm to patients and quality assurance investigations that drag on for years while suspect providers continue to practice.”
House Approves Bill to Make Binding Arbitration Unenforceable
House passed the FAIR Act (H.R.963) that would prohibit pre-dispute agreements that require workers and consumers to pursue claims through binding arbitration rather than in court. Often these arbitrators are hired by the employer or lender. The FRA works to ensure that active-duty personnel are protected from predatory lenders and supports making mandatory arbitration agreements in financial contracts unenforceable. The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
First Woman Nominated for USCG Commandant
Admiral Linda Fagan has been nominated by President Biden to be the first woman to serve as U.S. Coast Guard Commandant. Admiral Fagan has served in the Coast Guard for 36 years. She has served as Vice-commandant since June of 2021. Previously she was commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area, overseeing operations from the Rocky Mountains to the waters off the east coast of Africa. Fagan is also the Coast Guard’s first Gold Ancient Trident, the officer with the longest service record in the Marine Safety field. She graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1985 with a B.S. degree in Marine Science. She later earned a Master of Marine Affairs degree from the University of Washington in 2000 and an M.S. degree in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University in 2008. The nomination requires Senate confirmation.
U.S. Navy Submarine Day
This Monday, April 11 marks the 122nd anniversary (1900) of the U.S. Navy’s first commissioned submarine, the USS Holland, that was acquired by the United States Navy. The Holland was not the first Navy sub, however. That honor goes to the Alligator which was the first submarine ordered and built by the Navy, although it was never commissioned.
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