NewsBytes May 13, 2022
In this issue:
Ask Congress to Get Its Work Done on Time
DoD Halts Incineration of PFAS Chemicals
Post-9/11 GI Bill Enrollment Verification
Happy Birthday Navy Nurse Corps
Ask Congress to Get Its Work Done on Time
The current fiscal year appropriations package (FY2022) was signed into law March 15, 2022. The FY2022 budget started on Oct. 1, 2021. This nearly 6-month delay resulted in flat-line funding for many current government programs. Too frequently Congress fails to pass spending bills on time. The federal government has partially closed 18 times since 1976 because one or more appropriations bills were not signed into law on time. In 2018-19, the shutdown lasted 35 days.
When the spending bills do not pass, Congress has to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government open. CRs are an awful way to fund the federal government because they generally continue funding at prior year levels, with no regard to the value of the individual programs. They continue to fund those programs that have outlived their usefulness or badly need reform, and they fail to expand successful programs that need a boost. In other words, Congress fails to make any of the important budgeting decisions that are its job.
Members are urged to use the FRA Action Center to ask your legislators to pass the FY 2023 budget (appropriations and Defense Authorization) before Oct. 1, 2022, online.
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DoD Halts Incineration of PFAS Chemicals
In compliance with FRA-supported provisions in the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA; P.L.117-81) the Department of Defense (DoD) temporarily halted its incineration of firefighting foam and other materials containing PFAS, pledging it will soon issue disposal guidance. The Pentagon said it is banning incineration of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), a specialized type of firefighting foam that contains perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, used for jet fuel and other fires on liquids. Congress set the moratorium after the DoD failed to issue disposal guidance that complied with criteria lawmakers specified in the fiscal 2020 NDAA (P.L.116-92).
Criteria Congress specified included that “all incineration is conducted at a temperature range adequate to break down PFAS chemicals while also ensuring the maximum degree of reduction in emission of PFAS, including elimination of such emissions where achievable.” PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because some of them do not break down through natural forces of sun, weather, or microbes. When incinerated, some of the PFAS are emitted into the air.
Post-9/11 GI Bill Enrollment Verification
Veterans receiving Post 9/11 GI Bill housing payments are required to verify enrollment to the VA by the end of each month. Students may opt-in to text message verification to ensure seamless receipt of their Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) payments. Enrollment verification is a new requirement for Post-9/11 GI Bill students to verify that they have remained enrolled in the same courses or training every month. Student veterans who receive MHA payments will have their payments withheld if they fail to verify or report that they are no longer enrolled in their courses or training.
This requirement is only for Post-9/11 GI Bill and does not impact other benefit programs, such as the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC), Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA), or Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP). This requirement also does not currently apply to GI Bill students in on-the-job, apprenticeship, flight, or correspondence training. For more information go online.
Happy Birthday Navy Nurse Corps
The United States Navy Nurse Corps was officially established by Congress on May 13, 1908; however, unofficially, women had been working as nurses aboard Navy ships and in Navy hospitals much earlier, as far back as 1861. The Corps was all-female until 1965.
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