NewsBytes June 18, 2021
In this issue:
Bills Introduced to Help Military Survivors
Senate Looks at Military Housing/Infrastructure Needs
SVAC Reviews 2022 VA Budget
Del Toro Nominated SecNav
Bills Introduced to Help Military Survivors
FRA-supported legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate that would increase monthly benefits for family members and survivors of veterans who lost their lives during service to our country. The “Caring for Survivors Act” (S.976/H.R.3402) seeks to increase payments to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) in line with payments to surviving spouses of other Federal employees (55 percent). The rate of compensation paid to survivors of service members who die in the line of duty — or veterans who die from service-related injuries or diseases — has been minimally adjusted since its establishment in 1993. DIC payments currently (43% of retiree benefits) lag behind the other programs’ payments by 12 percent.
Under the current law, the DIC restricts benefits for survivors if the veteran was disabled for less than ten years before death. This legislation would reduce the timeframe a veteran would need to be rated totally disabled from ten to five years — broadening eligibility to more survivors. Members can weigh in on this issue by going to the FRA Action Center.
Senate MilCon/VA Looks at DoD Housing and Other Infrastructure Needs
The Senate Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee held a hearing on the Department of Defense infrastructure needs, which included the issues with military family housing. It was noted that the FY2022 DoD budget for family housing ($9.8 billion) has an increase of 22 percent more than the current fiscal year budget ($8.1 billion). The association is thankful that Subcommittee Ranking Member Sen. John Boozman (Ark.) pressed DoD witnesses about the poor condition of many base barracks and the need for adequate child development centers.
The FRA welcomes the proposed increased funding for family housing that was discussed during the Subcommittee hearing on DoD infrastructure. The association urges Congress to work to ensure service members and their families have safe, quality homes and communities. The FRA wants to increase the accountability of privatized housing companies by putting more oversight authority into the hands of local military leadership. Members can weigh in on the military housing issue by going to the FRA Action Center.
SVAC Reviews FY2022 VA Budget
The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee held a hearing to review the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) proposed budget request for Fiscal Year 2022. The hearing considered how the agency’s budget aims to better serve veterans and their families through increased benefits, care and services. Witnesses included VA Secretary Denis McDonough, and VA Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer Jon Rychalski. SVAC Chairman Jon Tester was happy to see a 10 percent increase in the proposed budget but noted the significant backlog of disability claims. He says this will increase if Congress enacts the veteran toxic exposure bill.
During the hearing, Tester questioned VA Secretary McDonough on the agency’s plans to address critical problems facing the agency through additional resources, such as investing in the benefits claims process. There was also lengthy discussion of the budgetary impact if the veteran toxic exposure bill becomes law. Members can weigh in on the toxic exposure issue by going to the FRA Action Center.
President Biden Nominates Del Toro as SecNav
As predicted in the May 14, 2021, edition of NewsBytes, President Joe Biden has submitted Carlos Del Toro to serve as Secretary of the Navy. Del Toro is a Naval Academy graduate, and CEO of a tech consultancy. After coming to the United States as a child from Cuba in 1962, Del Toro went on to become the first Hispanic to serve as a Captain of an Aegis cruiser or destroyer. His Navy career includes Middle East deployments during Operation Desert Storm. The appointment requires Senate confirmation.
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