This is an awkward situation for the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, whose FY2003 Defense Authorization Bill (H.R.4546) is still hung up in negotiations over the concurrent receipt issue. The authorization bill is what formally authorizes service manning levels, pay raises, procurement, benefit changes, and everything else in the defense budget - including, hopefully, authority for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation. The appropriations bill normally follows afterward to provide the funds to implement those things. This year, the legislative cart is before the horse, a situation Armed Services Committee leaders hate. They're supposed to be driving the train, but the out-of-sequence action leaves them frustrated in the caboose.

Issue 5: Don't Let Representatives Escape Accountability. We're frustrated and extremely disappointed that, despite 83% co-sponsorship for concurrent receipt in the Senate and an overwhelming 90% in the House, the leadership in the House is still balking at final action on concurrent receipt. That is the sole issue holding up the FY2003 Defense Authorization Bill, which Congress hopes to resolve in mid-November.

Last week, House members tried to get credit with their constituents by voting unanimously to urge defense authorization conferees to approve full concurrent receipt. But that same week, 58 cosponsors on the Appropriations Committee let a terrible anti-concurrent receipt provision slip past them without raising any objection (Note: our special alert this week should have noted that this proposal originated in the Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies). And House leadership seems to be listening more to White House critics than to their own 402 cosponsors. So how much pressure are all those cosponsors putting on their leadership?

Military retirees and veterans have a right to expect that their elected representatives will keep their word and put their votes and their money where their mouth is.

As legislators campaign for your votes, you'll have opportunities to talk to them in town meetings, call-in shows, and other venues. If not, you can call their local district or campaign offices. Ask them for a plain answer to this plain question: "When Congress reconvenes on November 12, will you promise to use your vote to ensure that the defense authorization bill contains real concurrent receipt relief, without any gimmicks or loopholes?"

Meanwhile, please tell all of your friends, neighbors, and relatives about the following things they can do to help ensure fair treatment for disabled retirees.

For the White House: Visit the same TROA Web site and click on the "President Should Support ConcurrentReceipt" link to send a message to the President. Or call the White House comment line at 1-202-456-1111 and say you want the Administration to stop opposing concurrent receipt and start supporting fair compensation for disabled military retirees.

Issue 6: Earlier this year, Medicare provider payments were cut by 5.4 percent. On November 1st, Medicare will announce additional cuts of 12 percent over the next three years, beginning with a 4.4 percent cut on January 1, 2003. These decreases, on top of increasing overhead costs and rapidly rising medical liability expenses, seriously jeopardize providers' participation in TRICARE and Medicare.

TROA and other associations have been pressing Congress to reverse the cuts. The House passed a bill to do that in June (H.R.4954), but the Senate has yet to act. With the number of items on the agenda for the lame duck session, it's getting very iffy whether Congress can agree on a Medicare payments bill this year.

You can help by asking your senators to make this legislation a priority. Visit TROA's Web site ( http://capwiz.com/troa/home/ ) and click on the "Urge Senate to Act on Medicare Reimbursement" Action Alert link at the top of the page.

(10-25-02)

Issue 1: Not Voting Doesn't Help. You can't help any cause if you stay home on Election Day. If you want to make a statement, go to the polls and vote for the candidates who will make a firm commitment to act in your interests. Refusing to vote won't fix concurrent receipt, and actually hurts that cause. Voting is a civic obligation. If you're upset (as we are) about Administration opposition and Congressional inaction, get out and vote for those candidates who are willing to make a firm commitment to use their votes to get the job done.

Issue 2: No Time to Let Up on Concurrent Receipt. With legislators abandoning the FY 2003 Defense Bill and campaigning in earnest for re-election, it's time to challenge them to make a firm stand on concurrent receipt — while they're on home turf — and before Election Day.

PIC-COOPER, George&Ruth.jpg (103449 bytes) PIC-HENLEY, R.G.&Joy.jpg (9618 bytes) PIC-NOURIE, Robert&Kathleen.jpg (122085 bytes) PIC-SIMPSON, Bob&Carol.jpg (12689 bytes)
George & Ruth Cooper R.G. & Joy Henley Bob & Kitty Nourie Bob & Carol Simpson

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