In This Week's Legislative Update:
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, HEARING ON HEALTH AND BENEFITS LEGISLATION
HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE, HEARING ON SEQUESTRATION TRANSPARENCY
SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, HEARING ON LAW OF THE SEA TREATY AND BUSINESS
AUSN ON THE HILL
PRIORITY BILLS INTRODUCED THIS WEEK
NEW LEGISLATIVE ALERTS
NEXT WEEK OUTLOOK
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, HEARING ON HEALTH AND BENEFITS LEGISLATION
On 27 June 2012, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVA) met to discuss health and benefits legislation for veterans. Several AUSN bills of interest were discussed in the hearing from sponsors, Members of the committee, and witnesses from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), including: S.3340, S.2320, S.2259, S.2244, S.1849, and S.1707. These bills pertained to rural veterans, veterans’ mental health, and the state of military cemeteries and missing veterans. SVA Chairman, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), mentioned in her opening statement how these bills plan to be marked up in mid-July. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) spoke on his bill, S. 2244 the Veterans Missing in America Act of 2012. He discussed that the bill would seek to identify unclaimed cremated remains and establish whether or not they were a veteran. Senator Portman noted, “That of the hundreds of thousands of unclaimed remains in this country, it’s estimated that over 10,000 of those remains are of veterans.” There is companion legislation in the House, H.R. 2051, and Senator Portman concluded that passing both bills is imperative as these veterans deserve an honorable burial.
The VA brought numerous witnesses of importance to offer perspectives on these bills, including Dr. Madhulika Agarwal, the Deputy Undersecretary for Health for Policy and Services and Mr. Richard Hipolit, the VA Assistant General Counsel. A notable topic of the questioning of the witnesses regarded S.2320, the Remembering America's Forgotten Veterans Cemetery Act of 2012 introduced by Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). Members of the Committee asked the panel to comment on this bill and American military cemeteries overseas. Mr. Hipolit commented that the National Cemetery Administration only maintains cemeteries in the United States and Puerto Rico, while the American Battle Monuments Commission handles overseas cemeteries. He noted that, “I think at this time no Federal agency has responsibility for [Clark Veterans Cemetery in the Philippines],” but that the VA certainly understood the concerns over this cemetery.
HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE, HEARING ON SEQUESTRATION TRANSPARENCY
On 27 June 2012, the House Committee on the Budget held a markup meeting on H.R. 5872, the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012. The bill would require that the President provide a report detailing the sequester plans as laid out by the Budget Control Act of 2011 that take effect on 2 January 2013 (similar provisions were found with last week’s passage of the Senate Farm Bill with the amendment offered by Senators McCain and Murray). There were two amendments offered. The first amendment was by House Budget Committee Chairman, Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI-01), which would require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to provide information regarding how the sequester would be implemented within 30 days after passage of the bill. Budget Committee Ranking Member, Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD-08), offered an amendment to delay sequestration for the first year, instate the Buffet Rule and close certain subsides like those for major oil companies and agriculture. The Ryan amendment passed by voice vote, while the Van Hollen amendment failed by recorded vote. The overall bill, H.R. 5872, passed by recorded vote, 30-0.
Both the Chairman and the Ranking Member were very open about their worries for the defense budget if sequestration happened, and its consequences on the defense industry. Chairman Ryan quoted a letter from Lockheed Martin, that the defense company would have to send out pink slips too all their employees if there is no certainty or solution about sequestration as early as this fall. Ranking Member Van Hollen referred to sequestration as a ‘buzz saw’ to the defense budget, and even quoted Representative Buck McKeon (R-CA-25), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), that saving the defense budget needs to be a top priority even above some partisan issues. Both sides of the aisle were glad they could discuss crucial budget problems; however the dividing issues that were apparent throughout the hearing were revenue increases sought by the Democrats, and social program spending cuts sought by the Republicans.
SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, HEARING ON LAW OF THE SEA TREATY AND BUSINESS
On 28 June 2012, the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs (SCFR) held a hearing on the Law of the Sea Treaty, getting perspectives from businesses and industry representatives. The panel consisted of Mr. Thomas J. Donohue, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Jack N. Gerard, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute; Mr. Jay Timmons, President and CEO from the National Association of Manufacturers and Mr. Lowell C. McAdam, Chairman and CEO from Verizon Communications Inc. This hearing was the fourth hearing about the Law of the Sea Convention
All four panelists were staunch supports of the treaty. U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Donohue highlighted that, “the treaty would benefit several industries key to economic growth, job creation and U.S competitiveness.” To strengthen this point, Mr. Gerard added that ascension could extend the U.S. continental shelf to approximately, “1 million additional square kilometers and could contain resources worth billions, if not trillions of dollars, to our U.S. economy.” All four panelists said the future economy was heavily dependent on a few things; submerged fiber optic cables, rare earth minerals, offshore drilling, and Arctic shipping lanes, which inclusion in the Law of the Sea Treaty plays a deciding factor for the U.S. in all such areas. They all agreed the Treaty would create codified, internationally acknowledged, legal certainty for them to go out in the ocean and invest billions of dollars to bring back rare earth metals, which are of strategic importance for U.S. manufacturing, and hydrocarbons for U.S. energy needs. Meanwhile Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), who was surprised industry leaders were siding with the Administration and Democrats on this issue, questioned why companies needed the U.S. as a signatory when they already work with other countries like the U.K. in deep sea projects. Mr. McAdam responded that only countries can bring cases to the dispute process, and the most effective way would be to have the U.S. government, “bring in the State Department or other Federal government [agencies], rather than having to go a circuitous route through the U.K.”
AUSN ON THE HILL
Along with the hearing’s AUSN covered this week and the Supreme Court Ruling which upheld the Affordable Healthcare Act of 2010 (See Capitol Hill Blog Entry on Supreme Court Ruling), the big talk of the week that AUSN heard and discussed on Capitol Hill was what to do about DOD sequestration. In our meetings with staff from the offices of Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR), Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), the impact of sequestration was highly discussed, as well as other AUSN Legislative Priorities. Amongst these meetings and interactions with staff was word that HASC Chairman McKeon was requesting a hearing on 18 July 2012 for OMB to testify in a letter to the Acting Director of OMB, Mr. Jeffrey Zients. In addition was the widely held belief that a ‘kick the can down the road’ solution to sequestration would occur whereby Congress would delay it a few months or a year until after the new Congress is sworn in (which may find itself in a provision of the FY13 National Defense Authorization Act when it comes to a House and Senate Conference this fall). To address these concerns, AUSN wrote and submitted an Op-Ed, picked up in Tuesday’s Roll Call Newspaper on the effects sequestration would have upon the Navy and military community.
PRIORITY BILLS INTRODUCED THIS WEEK
S. 3354, (Official title yet to be released). Introduced by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), the bill would authorize a Transition Assistance Advisor program of the Department of Defense.
S. 3353, (Official title yet to be released). Introduced by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), the bill would amend title 38, United States Code, to require States to recognize the military experience of veterans when issuing licenses and credentials to veterans.
S. 3349, (Official title yet to be released). Introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the bill would amend title 38, United States Code, and the United States Housing Act of 1937 to enhance and expand the assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness.
S. 3348, (Official title yet to be released). Introduced by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), the bill would amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the multifamily transitional housing loan program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
S. 3340, (Official title yet to be released). Introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the bill would improve and enhance the programs and activities of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding suicide prevention and resilience and behavioral health disorders for members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
H.R. 6046, Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act. Introduced by Representative Adam Smith (D-WA-09), the bill would amend titles 10, 32, 37, and 38 of the United States Code, to add a definition of spouse for purposes of military personnel policies and military and veteran benefits that recognizes new State definitions of spouse.
In the advocacy section of the website, you can click on Bills of Interest to get daily revisions on Congressional action on bills. I STRONGLY encourage you all to visit our Advocacy page which has been updated to reflect current events, especially the Capitol Hill Blog which receives almost daily submissions when Congress is in session to see what AUSN is doing for you on Capitol Hill.
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NEW LEGISLATIVE ALERTS
There was one new Legislative Alert were sent this week based on hearings and interaction with Congressional staff, as well as traction on the issue. When these alerts are sent to your email, please click on the TAKE ACTION link that is at the top of the alert email to send a letter response to your Members of Congress. If you have not seen them, please go to the Legislative Alerts section on the AUSN webpage and/or check your e-mail for the following alerts which were titled:
Legislative Alert #112-16: Address the Consequences of Defense Sequestration
NEXT WEEK OUTLOOK
Next week both the House and Senate are out of session due to the 4th of July Holiday Recess, but will return the following week where Defense Appropriation Bills for FY13 will be on the agenda. There won’t be a Legislative Update next week, so on behalf of your Association of the United States Navy, have a happy and wonderful 4th of July Holiday with friends and family!
The Association of the United States Navy is continuously on and/or monitoring Capitol Hill, advocating for your concerns and utilizing our strong relationships with Members of Congress, Staff and cooperating with other military associations to tell the Navy and our veterans’ story. This is an ALL HANDS ON DECK effort and your grassroots advocacy will help make the changes that need to happen!
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS
Anthony A. Wallis, Legislative Director
Phone (o): 703-458-5800, (m): 703-517-9310
E-mail: Anthony.Wallis@ausn.org
Legislative Action Center, Contact Congress