Due to the failure of the White House and Congress to reach a mutual agreement, the massive and indiscriminate across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration have started as of 1 March 2013. The $85.3 billion in automatic spending cuts are affecting every field of discretionary spending, from education to national defense.

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The opening weeks of the 113^th Congress were met with some bitter feelings amongst lawmakers on Capitol Hill. This was mostly a result of the hectic last minute negotiating on a solution to the “fiscal- cliff” to ensure that the country did not default. An “11^th hour” compromise was negotiated, mostly in part to the relationship between Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and passed the Senate on 31 December 2012 followed by passage in the House on 1 January 2013.

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First, I would like to congratulate President Obama on his reelection this past November as well as all the new members of the soon-to-be 113th Congress. The swearing in ceremony for the new Congress will be right after the New Year followed by the Presidential Inauguration on 20 January 2013.

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It’s been a busy summer season and with all the Legislative Updates, Legislative Alerts, Capitol Hill Blogs and AUSN Tweets, we’ve accomplished quite a lot.

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A few of our members here at AUSN have been writing about the high volume of material coming out of the Legislative Department here at our Alexandria, VA headquarters. Trust me, I understand seeing my mailbox flooded with materials that I simply don’t know what to do with. However, Congress is working at an unusually fast pace given its history of putting things off.

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There’s a frightening word floating around Capitol Hill and it isn’t “partisanship” or “reelection” (although depending on how Congress works with this word, it will determine their participation in the 113th Congress). The word is “sequestration” and it has lawmakers, especially those serving on the House and Senate Armed Services, Appropriations and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, on edge.

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The President’s 2013 budget is now on the Hill and the work begins in earnest. It is the season for testimony and we look forward to our opportunities to voice your concerns and to support the Navy.

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In the first week of January, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was to unveil his view of right sizing the Defense Department for the future. Instead, on the fifth, the President traveled to the Pentagon to make the announcement.

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The following are the legislative priorities that I believe that AUSN should pursue for the next few years. These are based on different inputs: AUSN members and veterans, serving members, and Congressional Members and staff.

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This Veterans Day of 2011 gives us a lot to think about and consider. In preparing this article, I had the privilege to have dinner with a Medal of Honor recipient, World War II Veteran, and a great American statesman, Senator Dan Inouye (D-HI). It was surreal to listen to the Senator talk about changes in American politics, Defense of our Nation, War, and the challenges ahead.

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We face economic issues we've never seen before. If you're like me, deficit reduction and military cuts issues leave you with questions such as how do we survive, keep America strong, continue to support our families and all the while have hope and maintain a positive attitude.

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Over the last few years, health care issues for military and veterans and their families have risen to many passionate discussions and considerations. The topic is not likely to go away during the current stalled debate over the debt ceiling crisis.

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August 2011 - Navy By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret) The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) cleared the Senate version of the National Defense Aut...

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July 2011 - Navy By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret) The House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) H.R. 1540 has been recently fin...

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June 2011 - Navy By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret) At this writing, the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee (HASC) is about to markup (c...

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May 2011 - Navy By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret) At this writing, most of Washington politicos are working on their "bets" of whether or not the gover...

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April 2011 Navy By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret) Over the last month, the President’s budget has revealed the landscape of where our Defense Depar...

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March 2011 Navy By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret) For some time, we have heard from our elected and appointed officials about how the government has over...

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February 2011 Navy By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret) Our national security faces perfect storm of conflicting issues surrounding all the Services, the De...

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January 2011 Navy By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret) Below is a partial listing of AUSN Legislative Goals for CY 2011. There are numerous press reports ab...

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