NewsBytes September 27, 2019
In this issue:
92nd FRA Convention
Continuing Resolution
Blue Water Press Conference
The 92nd FRA Convention
During the 92nd FRA annual convention, NED Tom Snee introduced the keynote speaker for the joint FRA and LA FRA opening ceremonies, Captain Alonza J. Ross, commanding Naval Support Activity Mid-South. He spoke about the modern Navy of today. He mentioned that he was proud to have enlisted in the Navy in 1982. He showed the latest Navy recruiting video and shared the stories of 4 individual who recently enlisted. Ross said the Navy has 380,000 active duty and reservists currently serving and that each one has their own story. Ross said, “the security of the nation is in great hands and that the Navy’s most valuable weapon system is our people.”
Captain Ross spoke about the 77-year history of the Millington Tennessee Naval installation that started with America’s entry into World War II and how the installation started as an air base in 1942. The 1993 BRAC closed the air base, which moved much of the aircraft and support to Pensacola Naval facility. In 1998 additional staff were reassigned to Washington, D.C. Ross said people at Millington miss the air base and “What we do in Millington isn’t cool.” Millington still has 2,200 active duty, 950 reservists and 2600 civilian employees. More than 650 military families still live on base.
The election of the new FRA officers will be held later today, and a full report will be in next week’s NewsBytes.
Continuing Resolution
The Senate passed a continuing resolution to keep the government operating through November 21st. The Senate vote (82-15) on the House bill, H.R.4378 Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2020, had already passed the House. The bill will now be sent to the President.
Now, lawmakers will continue trying to reach an agreement on the competing National Defense Authorization Acts (H.R.2500 and S.1790) passed earlier by each chamber of origin. There are a number of other disagreements between the two bills; among them are three important provisions for FRA members. A conference committee has been appointed to resolve the differences between the two bills. The House bill has several FRA supported provisions that are not in the Senate bill. Members are urged to ask their Senators to support House provisions in the final bill that include:
• Repealing the SBP/DIC Offset known as the Widow’s Tax;
• Delaying proposed drastic cuts to military medical staff and require a study on the impact; and
• Allowing military service members to sue the DoD for instances of medical malpractice unrelated to combat.
The conference committee bill will be submitted to the House and Senate for approval. If approved by both chambers the bill will go to the President to be signed into law or be vetoed. Members are urged to ask their Senators to accept the above referenced provisions in the final NDAA bill. The issues are listed in the “Ask Senators to Support House Provisions in Final NDAA” on the FRA Action Center .
Blue Water Navy Press Conference
Assistant Director of Legislative Policy Brian Condon recently participated in a press conference on Capitol Hill. It addressed the devastating effects that delaying Blue Water Navy claims is having on those veterans in need of care. Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Sen. Jon Tester (Mont.) and Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Mark Takano (Calif.) both spoke about the importance of providing care to those who took care of this Nation in a time of need. They believe the VA has the resources they need and it is time the VA start the process that has been denied to these veterans for far too long. The VA is scheduled to start processing Blue Water claims beginning January, 2020, even though the landmark court decision of Procopio vs Wilkie was made months ago.
The FRA signed onto a letter, along with several other Veteran Service Organizations, that was sent to President Trump expressing the urgency that some of these Blue Water veterans need. Some deserve care immediately and waiting even a few months is too long.
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