Military Officer - April 2007 - (Page 33) washingtonscene leadership team and pledged her continued support to end the “disabled veterans’ tax” and the “military widows’ tax” and resist proposals for significant fee increases for VA and defense health programs. Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-S.C.) indicated his top priorities are VA health funding and additional resources for those wounded in war while in Iraq and Afghanistan, including those suffering from PTSD. Spratt applauded House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) for adding an extra $3.6 billion for VA health care in the House-passed FY 2007 continuing resolution. Obey said that the last Congress’ failure to pass 11 appropriations bills for FY 2007 had left incoming leaders in the position of having to make some tough funding choices, but they had made funding veterans’ health care their top priority. Looking ahead, Obey expressed his concern that the administration’s new budget would “cut the portion of the budget for VA care by 20 percent in real dollars over the next five years.” Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) said military readiness and the “stretching and straining” put on the nation’s military servicemembers and families were his top priorities. He pointed out that 40 percent of the Army’s equipment is in Iraq and the National Guard has just 35 percent of its needed equipment. Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.) said his priorities include VA health care and improving educational benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB). He urged the groups to work together to reach consensus on other veterans’ needs. During the session, Pelosi invited association leaders to offer their perspectives. MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., said MOAA places top priority on meeting the manpower needs of active duty and Guard and Reserve forces, preventing disproportional cost-shifting to TRICARE beneficiaries, and taking further action to end unfair reductions in compensation for disabled retirees and military widows. Other organizations echoed those concerns and reemphasized needs for assured VA health funding, MGIB upgrades, transition assistance programs, family support, and PTSD prevention and treatment, among other issues. VA and Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards (D-Texas), who has introduced bill H.R. 579 to restrict the secretary of defense’s authority to impose TRICARE fee increases, was particularly vehement on that subject. “I’m outraged,” said Edwards, “that the administration plan would make sure Paris Hilton keeps all her tax cuts — but would tax military retirees to pony up an extra $1.8 billion in TRICARE fees.” Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) told the groups that as a veteran himself, he would do all that he could, with the associations’ help, to push for passage of his “Disabled Veterans Tax Fairness Act” (H.R. 333). That bill would end the VA offset to service-earned military retired pay for all disabled military retirees, including those forced into medical retirement before attaining 20 years of service. MOAA is gratified at this unprecedented show of House leadership concern for our top-priority issues. In decades of working military issues on the Hill under the control of either Republicans or Democrats, MOAA has never had this kind of invitation to meet with the speaker and committee chairmen. Pelosi said she planned to continue having regular meetings with military and veterans’ groups and pledged her intent that Congress “will not leave any veteran behind.” APRIL 2007 Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Maj. Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) MILITARY OFFICER 33
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