Military retirees, federal annuitants and Social Security recipients will begin receiving a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in January 2012. This same increase will eventually apply to VA disability compensation and survivor benefits provided Congress finalizes legislation authorizing the increase (The House passed H.R. 1407 on May 23; the Senate has yet to act).
“Supercommittee” may address military pay/benefits. Commissary director defends appropriations for commissaries as a good investment. NDAA delay could affect important programs.
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TRICARE Prime fees increase for “working age” military retirees; pharmacyrates also change. Family and Medical Leave Act adjustments for federal employees married to military members. Military retiree COLA for CY 2012 to be released the third week of October. House agrees to short-term concurrent resolution.
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Legislation to provide mental health support for Guard members. Contrasting retirement systems of elected officials with federal civilian retirees. HASC Chair speech on national defense.
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Happy Birthday U.S. Air Force!
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES AND NEWS
Senate Panel Freezes DoD Funding for FY 2012. The Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee decided on Tuesday to keep DoD spending at current levels, allocating just $513 billion in basic defense spending for FY 2012-$26 billion less than the President requester earlier this year. Appropriators did however agree with the Administration on war-related funding and they are recommending that $117.8 billion be provided for Overseas Contingency Operations.
Legislative Platform, Open Letter and Resolution Ratified AFSA members attending the 2011 Professional Airmen’s Conference and AFSA International Convention in San Antonio, Texas, ratified the 2011-2012 Legislative Platform, a basic list of legislative targets AFSA lobbyists will purse in testimony and face-to-face visits with congressional representatives during the coming year. These targets will be available on the AFSA Home Page and detailed in future AFSA publications. The delegates also unanimously passed an “Open Letter to Congress and the President” urging them to maintain earned military benefits.
Arlington Nation Cemetery Problems, Investigations Broaden A number of problems have emerged at Arlington National Cemetery over the past year and a half, including dozens of instances of misplaced or misidentified remains due to poor record-keeping practices. Now Army investigators are looking into why 69 boxes of burial records from Arlington were found abandoned in a commercial storage facility. This new investigation was revealed at a June 23 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee oversight hearing to obtain an update on the problems that have plagued the Cemetery.
Senate Committee on Armed Services Completes Markup of FY 2012 NDAA The Senate Committee on Armed Services recently finished its markup of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2012. The committee approved the bill unanimously on Thursday, June 16, and it now awaits full Senate consideration. Like its House counterpart, the Senate bill provides a 1.6 percent across-the-board pay raise for all members of the uniformed services and reauthorizes over 30 types of bonuses and special pays aimed at encouraging enlistment, reenlistment, and continued service by active-duty and Reserve component personnel.
House Defense Appropriations Bill: The House Appropriations Committee approved its fiscal year 2012 Defense Appropriations Bill on Tuesday. This legislation contains funding for critical national security needs, and provides the necessary resources to continue the nation’s military efforts abroad. In addition, the bill provides essential funding for health and quality of life programs for the men and women of the Armed Services and their families.
TRICARE Change Proposals
Earlier we detailed how the President’s FY 2012 Budget Plan calls for annual fee increases for TRICARE Prime and further annual inflationary increases starting in 2013. It is important to keep in mind that the President’s budget plan is non-binding and has no force of law—but it does state Administration intentions. What is most important is what will be incorporated in the FY 2012 National Defense Authorization Act produced by Congress. Should Congress put a provision in the NDAA prohibiting fee increases, as they have in the past, the changes will not take place.
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