MOAA Announces Support of S.1950, the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014

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Defending Military Compensation MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, Jr, USN (Ret) appeared on the PBS NewsHour program on January 2nd to discuss proposed changes to military compensation. (images by Mike Fritz/PBS NewsHour)

This legislation, based primarily on the bi-partisan Senate Veterans Benefits Omnibus, S. 944, offers comprehensive and much needed solutions for our returning warriors, veterans, survivors and family members,” MOAA President Vice Adm Norb Ryan said.

Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) January 17, 2014

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) announces its support of the Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act, S.1950, the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014.

“This legislation, based primarily on the bi-partisan Senate Veterans Benefits Omnibus, S. 944, offers comprehensive and much needed solutions for our returning warriors, veterans, survivors and family members,” MOAA President Vice Adm Norb Ryan said.

“MOAA deeply appreciates the inclusion of a provision in S. 1950 that repeals the unfair 1% COLA Cut of the earned pensions of working age military retirees established in the Balanced Budget Act,” he added.

The legislation also addresses a number of major MOAA priorities for veterans including:

• Extension of advance appropriations authority to more accounts (beyond health care) in Dept. of Veterans Affairs accounts
• Authorization for in-state tuition rates at public colleges for all student veterans using the new GI Bill
• Honoring as veterans certain career Reserve members eligible for reserve retired pay
• Authorization for Iraq and Afghanistan surviving spouses to the Post-9/11 GI Bill via the “Gunnery Sgt. John D. Fry Scholarship Program”
• Retention of DIC by eligible widows who remarry at age 55
• Improved care and services for veterans who were sexually assaulted in military service
• Extension of VA health care enrollment opportunity for OIF-OEF veterans from 5 to 10 years
• Renewal of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act veterans retraining assistance program
• Requirement for more timely claims backlog reporting

“These and other measures provide a strong foundation for our nation’s veterans after more than a dozen years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Ryan stated.

“MOAA is very appreciative of the growing support in both chambers to repeal the grossly unfair COLA cut on earned military retirees’ pensions. The means of accomplishing that objective is up to leaders in both parties and we strongly support a bi-partisan solution as soon as possible to restore the full pensions of those who have dearly earned them in service to the nation,” Ryan concluded.

About MOAA:
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nation’s largest officers association with more than 380,000 members from every branch of service, including active duty, retired, National Guard, Reserve, and former officers and their families and survivors. MOAA is a nonprofit and politically nonpartisan organization and an influential force in promoting a strong national defense. MOAA represents the interests of service members and their families in every stage of their lives and careers, and for those who are not eligible to join MOAA, Voices for America’s Troops is a
nonprofit MOAA affiliate that supports a strong national defense. For more information, visit http://www.moaa.org or http://www.voicesfortroops.org/.

Members of the news media who wish to be added to our media distribution list for MOAA news releases, please contact requestnews@moaa.org. Visit MOAA’s Multimedia & Press Room at http://www.moaa.org/media/default.htm.

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