In this issue:
HVAC Ranking Member will Retire and New SVAC Chairman 
FCC Works to Create 988 Suicide Hotline
FTC and U of Phoenix Announce Settlement
SecDef Chief of Staff to Stepdown


HVAC Ranking Member will Retire and New SVAC Chairman 
Rep. Phil Roe, MD (Tenn.) announced he will not seek re-election this year. Rep. Roe was awarded FRA’s 2018 Pinnacle award for his strong support of the Association’s legislative agenda. Congressman Roe is a veteran himself and served as the Chairman for the House Veterans Affairs Committee and currently is the Ranking Member in Congress. He served six years on HVAC and worked continuously to improve the lives and benefits for military retirees, veterans and active duty service members. He spearheaded efforts to pass the Agent Orange Blue Water legislation (H.R.299) in 2018, which passed the House unanimously. Even though the bill failed in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, it was enacted into law in 2019. 

Congressman Roe successfully pushed for other FRA-supported bills such as the Quicker Veterans Benefits Delivery (H.R.1725), the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act (H.R.2288) and the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act (H.R.3218) to become law. 

In related news, the Senate Republican majority announced that Sen. Jerry Moran (Kan.) will serve as Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC). He is replacing Sen. Johnny Isakson (Ga.), who resigned for health reasons this past December. Moran has served on the SVAC since 2011.  In a statement, Moran said he is committed to “ensuring our veterans have the right resources at the right time to achieve success after service. There is no group of people I hold in higher regard than those who serve our nation, and I take seriously the responsibility of providing our veterans with the best our country has to offer. I have always relied on veterans to help drive policy decisions in Washington, and I will continue to look to those who have served for ideas and solutions to improve the lives of their fellow service members.” Before being elected to the Senate, Moran served in the House of Representatives and was on the House Veterans Affairs Committee for 12 years. 


FCC Works to Create 988 Suicide Hotline
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced plans to make 988 the new, nationwide three-digit number for suicide prevention and mental health crises. The FCC official recommendation to create the three-digit hotline was originally made following a report that showed a three-digit number would improve access for those in crisis. The goal of the number’s similarity to 911, is to significantly increase the hotline’s effectiveness. For veterans, the hotline also provides access to specialized help, thanks to the FCC’s coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 

“This is absolutely our number one priority within VA — to prevent veteran suicide, to work with veterans and their families, and we are very grateful to the FCC and to Congress and everyone else who has worked on this national 988 proposal,” said David Carroll, executive director of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at the VA. “It’s a terrific opportunity to provide ease of access and, as several speakers have said, clarity in that moment of crisis so someone can easily reach out and get help. We look forward to the opportunities that this presents for us.”

Just like the current suicide prevention hotline, veterans can press 1 after dialing 988 for specialized support and counseling including text and chat functions. That same line currently answers an average of 1,800 to 1,900 calls each day, or a total of 3.5 million calls since it was launched in 2007. 


FTC and University of Phoenix Announce Settlement
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced a legal settlement with the University of Phoenix that includes nearly $200 million in repayment to students, many of which are veterans and military students. The FTC found UOP’s advertising and marketing materials, that were targeted for active duty service members, veterans, and military spouses, were deceptive.

In 2015, the Department of Defense put the University of Phoenix on probation for six months because the company’s misleading recruiting on military bases. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is required to protect veterans from deceptive recruiting practices by predatory colleges. On May 16, 2016, the FRA signed onto a letter to then VA Secretary Robert McDonald, along with 23 other organizations and again on February 14, 2019, onto a letter to VA Secretary with 34 other organizations, that urged the Secretary to provide more robust regulation to protect military and veteran students using the Post 9/11 GI Bill program. The FRA will continue to monitor the Post 9/11 GI Bill program and work to improve other education benefit programs while opposing the shifting of significant costs to active duty beneficiaries.
   

SecDef Chief of Staff to Stepdown
Eric Chewning, Chief of Staff for Defense Secretary Mark Esper will resign at the end of January. He will be replaced by Jen Stewart, current Republican Staff Director for the House Armed Services Committee. She was a former advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  Eric Chewning has served as Chief of Staff since Jan. 2019. Stewart has served as Director since Jan. 2017, and has focused on cybersecurity issues. Previously,0 she served as national security advisor to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.   

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