TREA Washington Update for January 28, 2011
The news from Washington that got the most press coverage this week was the President’s State
of the Union address (see below), and although there has been a lot of commentary about it, he
really didn’t give many details about what he will propose in his fiscal 2012 budget. However, on
the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue real news was made, even though it didn’t receive much
press coverage. Congress is finally getting itself organized by getting all of its committee
members, as well as its committee and subcommittee chairmen/women in place.
In addition, there are contradicting views being expressed about whether the defense budget will
be included in the budget cuts that new Republican majority in the House of Representatives
promises are coming this year. All this, and more, below.
1) Congressional Armed Services and Veterans Committees Leaders Now In Place
2) Defense Cuts? Yes, No, Maybe So
3) House Votes to Give Budget Committee Chairman Ryan Authority to Make Major Cuts in Federal
Programs
4) VA Publishes Final Regulation to Aid Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange in Korea
5) State of the Union Address
From TREA HQ:
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1) Congressional Armed Services and Veterans Committees Leaders Now In Place - The business
of Congress is conducted through its committees. In the House there are 21 committees and 2 joint
committees, while in the Senate there are 20 committees and 4 joint committees. Of greatest interest to
military people are the armed services committees, the veterans committees, and the appropriations
committees. On Thursday the office of Senator Patty Murray of Washington released the following
statement:
Senator Murray Named Chairman of the Senate
Veterans’ Affairs Committee - Today, U.S.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the
following statement after she was announced
as the new Chairman of the Senate Veterans’
Affairs Committee. Senator Murray, who has
been a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs
Committee since 1995, is a widely recognized
and outspoken advocate for America’s
veterans. She has been honored for her work
for veterans by the Vietnam Veterans of
America, American Ex-POWs, the VFW, the
Paralyzed Veterans of America and the
Washington State Department of Veterans
Affairs. Among other things, Senator Murray
has fought to give veterans access to quality
care and benefits, has pushed Republican and
Democratic administrations to provide the VA
with responsible budgets, and has worked to
ensure the VA is preparing for the influx of
new veterans. Senator Murray has also
worked to expand access to care for
Washington state veterans by saving three
state VA facilities from closure and by
pressuring the VA to open community based
health care clinics.
“This is a great honor, but an even bigger responsibility. As Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs
Committee, I have a tremendous duty to the 22 million veterans across the country who have stepped
up to serve our nation and who deserve the highest quality care, benefits, and treatment in return.
“I am humbled by this Chairmanship not only because of the great veterans I’ll serve, but also because
of the man whose shoes I’ll be working to fill. Senator Akaka has been, and always will be, a champion
for his fellow veterans. I know that in the coming years he will continue to be a leader on this
Committee, someone who I will rely on heavily, and someone who’ll never stop fighting for the veterans
of his home state and our nation.
“I plan to work each day to ensure that the VA is working for our veterans, not against them. Our
service members should never have to come home from fighting a war only to fight to get the benefits
and care that they deserve.
“I know the VA has some of the most dedicated employees in the world and provides tremendous
services to many of our veterans. But I also know there are a great many challenges to be met. Today,
too many veterans are waiting far too long to get the benefits they’ve earned. Too many veterans are
struggling to get access to mental health care, worker training, and other resources to help them
transition from the battlefield to the civilian world. And still, far too many veterans are sleeping on the
streets after serving their country. These are among the many issues I plan to take an active and
aggressive approach to helping find solutions for.
“It has been one of the great privileges of my Senate career to fight for veterans like my father - a
World War II veteran, or the Vietnam veterans I met interning at the VA in college, or the countless Iraq
and Afghanistan veterans who I have spoken to about returning home with the visible and invisible
wounds of war.
“These men and women, and all American veterans, will always be who I fight for, who I listen to first,
and who I answer to. Their needs, their struggles, and their stories will be the ones I bring to the VA to
help deliver change and meet the many challenges we face.”
With the announcement of Senator Murray’s appointment, the leadership of the Armed Services
and Veterans Affairs Committees for the 112th Congress (2011-2012) are as follows:
Senate Armed Services Committee
Chair: Senator Carl Leven (Dem – Michigan)
Ranking Member – Senator John McCain (Rep – Arizona)
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
Chair: Senator Patty Murray (Dem – Washington)
Ranking Member: Senator Richard Burr (Rep – North Carolina)
House Armed Services Committee
Chair: Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon (Rep – California)
Ranking Member: Representative Adam Smith (Dem – Washington)
House Veterans Affairs Committee
Chair: Representative Jeff Miller (Rep – Florida)
Ranking Member: Representative Bob Filner (Dem – California)
On Wednesday of this week, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller of Florida,
released this statement:
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Organizes and Announces Oversight Plan-Today, the House
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held its organizational meeting, and approved committee rules,
subcommittee membership, and the oversight plan for the 112th Congress.
“I am honored to be chairing this Committee at such a critical time for our nation and its veterans,”
commented Chairman of the Full Committee Jeff Miller (FL-01). “It will be the top priority of this
Committee to ensure stringent oversight over veterans’ programs. We must ensure that taxpayer dollars
are being used efficiently to provide the best services and world class health care to nation’s warriors
and their families.”
“I am also proud of the Committee’s bipartisan oversight plan that lays out an aggressive agenda that
includes 79 specific items,” continued Miller. “I consider this plan a basic blueprint for our oversight
activities but, it is not exclusive and I expect to expand on it throughout the Congress.”
2) Defense Cuts? Yes, No, Maybe So-Will there be cuts in the defense budget this year? Will there be
cuts in retiree and veteran benefits this year? Those questions are still being debated in Washington and
we may not know the answers for months.
Defense Secretary Gates has not proposed actual defense budget cuts for next year, but he has proposed
to reduce the rate of increase in the defense budget for next year and several years following. But this
week Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee announce their opposition to this reduction
in the rate of increased spending.
According to a report in Congressional Quarterly, House Armed Services Committee Chairman
Howard McKeon stated, “I will oppose any plans that have the potential to damage or endanger our
national security.” McKeon’s statement comes in spite of the fact that House Majority Leader Eric
Cantor (R- Va.) said just last week that defense spending should be considered for cuts.
Two specific programs that were under discussion for cuts were the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary
Fighting Vehicle and the troop end strengths for the Army and Marine Corps. Those end strengths
would not be in effect until 2015.
Even though Secretary Gates has not proposed an actual cut in the defense budget, he has stated that he
will proposed cuts in Tricare health care benefits this year and he will shift the money saved into other
DoD programs. TREA has successfully helped fight to stop similar proposed cutbacks in the past and
we will fight to stop them again this year. However, given the mood in Congress to cut back on
spending, we do not know how the new Congress will react to Gates’ proposals.
We will keep you alerted as we move forward and let you know when your help is needed to contact
your Senators and Representative.
3) House Votes to Give Budget Committee Chairman Ryan Authority to Make Major Cuts in
Federal Programs-In one of its final acts before adjourning the lame duck session in December,
Congress extended until March 4, 2011, the Continuing Resolution (CR) it had previously passed and
that was set to expire in December. This was necessary because Congress had failed to pass a new
budget for fiscal year 2011 and without the Continuing Resolution the government would have been
shut down. The CR essentially continues funding for most programs at the FY2010 level.
By the time March 4 comes, we will be half way through the 2011 fiscal year and the last half of the
year must still be funded. So in addition to working on the FY 2012 budget, Congress is still working
on the FY 2011 budget.
This week the House of Representatives voted to pass a resolution to cut spending for the remaining six
months of FY2011 to FY2008 levels. The bill gives one member of Congress, House Budget
Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R- Wisc.) the authority to set spending ceilings for non-security
(meaning other than defense, veterans affairs, homeland security, or the foreign operations of the
Department of State) discretionary spending in last six months of Fy2011 that are no higher than the
levels of FY 2008. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the House will then vote during the
week of Feb. 14 on a funding bill that will bring spending under the ceilings set by Ryan. Ryan has
estimated that the cuts will total about $60 billion.
During debate on the resolution House Democrats warned that the cuts are coming too fast and will
hurt the economic recovery. Some also said that because defense spending is exempt from cuts,
agencies such as the FBI would be hit too hard.
A detailed list of programs that will be cut is still being developed and there has been speculation that
another Continuing Resolution for one month might be necessary in order to keep the government
running while the cuts are being put together.
Of course, once the House completes its work it must go to the Senate and since the Senate is still
controlled by the Democrats there is no way of knowing what will happen once the measure gets there.
4) VA Publishes Final Regulation to Aid Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange in Korea-Will Provide
Easier Path to Health Care and Benefits-Veterans exposed to herbicides while serving along the
demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Korea will have an easier path to access quality health care and benefits
under a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) final regulation that will expand the dates when illnesses
caused by herbicide exposure can be presumed to be related to Agent Orange.
“VA’s primary mission is to be an advocate for Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki “With this new regulation VA has cleared a path for more Veterans who served in the
demilitarized zone in Korea to receive access to our quality health care and disability benefits for
exposure to Agent Orange.”
Under the final regulation published today in the Federal Register, VA will presume herbicide exposure
for any Veteran who served between April 1, 1968, and Aug. 31, 1971, in a unit determined by VA and
the Department of Defense (DoD) to have operated in an area in or near the Korean DMZ in which
herbicides were applied.
Previously, VA recognized that Agent Orange exposure could only be conceded to Veterans who served
in certain units along the Korean DMZ between April 1968 and July 1969.
In practical terms, eligible Veterans who have specific illnesses VA presumes to be associated with
herbicide exposure do not have to prove an association between their illness and their military service.
This “presumption” simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits and ensures that
Veterans receive the benefits they deserve.
Click on these links to learn about Veterans' diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure at
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/diseases.asp and birth defects in children of
Vietnam-era Veterans at http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/birth_defects.asp.
VA encourages Veterans with covered service in Korea who have medical conditions that may be
related to Agent Orange to submit their applications for access to VA health care and compensation as
soon as possible so the agency can begin processing their claims.
Individuals can go to website http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/AO/claimherbicide.htm to get a more
complete understanding of how to file a claim for presumptive conditions related to herbicide exposure,
as well as what evidence is needed by VA to make a decision about disability compensation or
survivors benefits.
Additional information about Agent Orange and VA’s services for Veterans exposed to the chemical is
available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange.
The regulation is available on the Office of the Federal Register website at http://www.ofr.gov/.
5) State of the Union Address-On Tuesday night President Obama delivered his State of the Union
speech. In it he spent roughly a third of his time talking about jobs, the economy and the deficit. These
are probably the biggest issues facing our country at this time.
While no real deficit-reducing proposals were made, the President did propose a 5-year federal
spending freeze. Critics noted immediately that this would simply freeze any spending increases while
we currently have a $1.5 trillion dollar deficit, rather than doing anything to actually reduce the deficit.
He made no new proposals regarding Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid which together make up
half of the federal government’s annual budget.
Clearly, Obama believes that part of the solution to closing the budget deficit is by making the US
economy stronger. He intends to do this by making investments in education, infrastructure and
renewable energy. He pointedly spoke about the potential of nuclear energy to help break America’s
dependence on foreign oil. At several points during his speech he referenced high-speed rail
transportation and increasing broadband access as ways to stimulate our economy while preparing the
country to face 21-century challenges.
As for veteran issues, Obama noticeably failed to mention the spate of suicides throughout the Army
and Marines, especially at Fort Hood and in the Reserves and National Guard. He did, however, say
that he supported giving veterans their full earned benefits and health care while also giving the active
duty the equipment they need. How that squares with his Defense secretaries often repeated statements
about the need to cut TRICARE benefits remains to be seen and will likely become apparent when the
President’s fiscal year 2012 budget is released next month.
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