NewsBytes September 22, 2023
Spending Legislation and CR Stalls
Senate Approves Chairman of JCS
Key Updates in the Fight to end Veteran Suicides
Defective Earplug Case
“Forever Chemicals” Linked to Cancer
National Convention Information and PACT Act Events
Spending Legislation and CR Stalls
All House Democrats and a small group of Republican Representatives voted (212-214) to block consideration of the annual FY2024 Defense appropriations bill (H.R.4365). In addition, a House vote on a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government operating for four weeks after September 30, 2023, was delayed. After the canceled vote, House Republicans had a meeting and press reports indicate that legislators exiting the meeting said they have made progress on avoiding a shutdown, with a CR that has bigger spending cuts and establishes a commission to address the federal debt. The House Rules Committee also sent the Defense appropriations bill back to the floor, a sign of easing tensions among House Republicans.
During past government shutdowns, active-duty military personnel were paid. Retirees will continue to be paid and get their TRICARE benefits because funding for their benefits is not required to be appropriated by Congress (mandatory funding). Social Security and Medicare will also continue to operate. Those receiving veterans’ benefits will continue to receive benefits because the Department of Veterans Affairs, which has two-year funding, already has funding for FY2024.
Senate Approves Chairman of JCS
The Senate confirmed (83-11) Air Force General Charles Q. Brown as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As NewsBytes goes to press, Marine Corps General Eric Smith is expected to be confirmed as the new Commandant of the Marine Corps. Army General Randy George will be confirmed as the Army Chief of Staff, as part of an agreement. Senator Tommy Tuberville (Ala.) has a blanket hold on senior military promotions and requested confirmation votes on certain individual nominees. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, on Wednesday, angrily blasted Tuberville’s moves as partisan games but acknowledged that some confirmations needed to move ahead as soon as possible.
VA Announces Key Updates in the Fight to end Veteran Suicides
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced several critical steps forward on its veteran suicide prevention initiatives, including $52.5 million in new veteran suicide prevention grants, a new set of veteran suicide prevention public service announcements (PSAs), and—for the first time—statistics on the impact of VA’s new program offering free emergency medical care to veterans in acute suicidal crisis at any VA or non-VA health care facility. Specifically, more than 32,000 veterans in acute suicidal crisis have received free emergency health care under the new life-saving VA policy. The 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report shows that veteran suicide decreased from 2019 to 2020 (the most recent year for data) and fewer veterans died by suicide in 2020 than any other year since 2006. The VA will release the 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report later this Fall.
“There is nothing more important to VA than preventing Veteran suicide—nothing,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “One Veteran suicide is one too many, and VA will continue to use every tool at our disposal to prevent these tragedies and save Veterans’ lives.”
Defective Earplug Case
The 3M Company $6 billion settlement of lawsuits accusing the company of selling defective combat earplugs to the U.S. military could fall apart if enough veterans reject the deal as inadequate for their injuries.
Given 250,000 or so active claims of hearing loss that 3M has identified, the accord works out to approximately $24,000 per person. Skeptics argue that may not be enough to make up for the life-altering injuries service members claim they suffered after the earplugs failed to protect them from the roar of heavy artillery and tanks. 3M can walk away from the pending settlement if less than 98 percent of claimants who are eligible for compensation reject it. That would force the company back to the negotiating table, leaving it to face hundreds of thousands of lawsuits.
“Forever Chemicals” Linked to Cancer
Numerous studies have shown that firefighters, both military and civilian, have been diagnosed with testicular cancer at higher rates than people in most other occupations, often pointing to the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in the foam. For the first time, a new federal study shows a direct association between PFOS—a PFAS chemical—found in the blood of thousands of military personnel and testicular cancer.
Using banked blood drawn from Air Force servicemen, researchers at the National Cancer Institute and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences found strong evidence that airmen who were firefighters had elevated levels of PFAS in their bloodstreams and weaker evidence for those who lived on installations with high levels of PFAS in the drinking water. The airmen with testicular cancer also had higher serum levels of PFOS than those who had not been diagnosed with cancer, said study co-author Mark Purdue, a senior investigator at NCI.
National Convention Information and PACT Act Events
The Nugget Hotel provides a daily shuttle bus service to and from the hotel and airport, starting at 0700 (7:00 a.m.) and ending at 2000 (9:00 p.m.). The bus leaves the hotel every half hour (7:00, 7:30 etc.) and picks up at the airport every half hour. The bus departs from the airport at the north side of the baggage claim area and departs at the Nugget Hotel from the valet parking area.
During the convention, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be hosting a PACT Act (veterans toxic exposure law) event on Wednesday, September 27. The event will be in room Redwood 7, and begins at 1430 with the PACT Act health screening and claims clinic, which ends at 1830. There will be a presentation on the PACT Act and its benefits at 1630 in room Redwood 6. All veterans are welcome to attend these events.
NewsBytes is FRA's weekly legislative update. If you received this through a forward and would like to subscribe, please e-mail us and include your name and contact information in the body of e-mail. If you are a member of FRA or LA FRA, please include your member number.
Follow FRA on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FRAHQ); Follow FRA on Instagram (www.instagram.com/fra_hq) and "like" FRA on Facebook (use the shortcut of www.fra.org/fb)