NewsBytes October 28, 2022
In this issue:
Concurrent Receipt Update
FRA Approves New Legislative Agenda
Former SecDef Ashton Carter Passes
Concurrent Receipt Update
The Senate Armed Services Committees has approved the Senate version of the annual NDAA (S.4543). The Senate bill will go to the Senate floor for approval. Senators Jon Tester (Mont.) and Michael Crapo (Idaho) will file a Senate floor amendment to add a provision to this “must-pass” bill to expand concurrent receipt.
In the House concurrent receipt legislation, the Major Richard Starr Act (H.R.1282) has more than 290 co-sponsors. House rules allow a member of Congress to file a motion with the House Clerk to place their legislation on the Consensus Calendar once their legislation has accumulated 290 cosponsors. If the legislation maintains at least 290 cosponsors for 25 legislative days, and the committee of jurisdiction does not report the legislation to the House floor, it will be placed on the Consensus Calendar allowing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring legislation to the House floor for a vote. The FRA argues that retired pay is for years of arduous military service paid by the Department of Defense while disability pay is for lifelong injury paid by the VA. To reduce retirement pay because of a disability is an injustice.
Please use the FRA Action Center to urge your legislators to support concurrent receipt reform online.
FRA Approves New Legislative Agenda
During the 94th annual FRA Convention in Birmingham, Alabama, the delegates approved the 2023 FRA Legislative Agenda. The FRA will fight to preserve and enhance benefits and quality-of-life programs for active, reserve, retired, and veterans of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard plus their families and survivors. FRA’s 2023 legislative agenda is available online .
Former SecDef Ashton Carter Passed Away
Ashton Carter, who was President Obama’s last Secretary of Defense, died on October 24, 2022. Mr. Carter led the Department of Defense (DoD) from February 2015 to January 2017. He died of a sudden cardiac event. He was 68 years old. During his tenure as DoD Secretary, he helped launch the campaign to defeat the Islamic State terror group in Iraq and Syria and opened all combat positions to women.
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