MOAA leaders from all 50 states urge lawmakers to end harmful effects of sequestration
Alexandria, Va. (PRWEB) April 13, 2015 -- More than 150 members of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) will participate in the annual “Storming the Hill” campaign Wednesday in Washington to urge their legislators to maintain a strong national defense, which requires Congress to end the harmful effects of sequestration.
MOAA’s council and chapter leadership from every state, along with members of MOAA’s board of directors, will urge Capitol Hill lawmakers not to harm the quality and readiness of the all-volunteer force by supporting a bipartisan debt-reduction package that avoids disproportional penalties on servicemembers and their families.
“MOAA’s annual Hill-storming effort is grassroots activism at its best,” said MOAA President and CEO retired Navy Vice Adm. Norb Ryan. “Nothing represents more how democracy works than to see this large group of responsible Americans communicating their concerns to the elected representatives whose actions and votes have a huge effect on our lives.”
MOAA started Storming the Hill in 1996 and has been recognized as one of the most effective lobbying organizations in the country.
This year, MOAA highlights three major concerns:
• Eliminating harmful sequestration cuts: The Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 established automatic budget cuts known as sequestration that put America’s national defense at risk. Unless current law is changed, DoD will have to cut $54 billion in FY 2016 and about $250 billion over the next five years.
• Sustaining military pay and benefits: The FY 2016 budget proposes several significant pay and benefit cuts that are inconsistent with the extreme sacrifices exemplified by the past 13 years of war. These cuts include capping military pay for the third straight year, reducing the housing allowance, and reducing commissary savings by up to 66 percent for military families.
• Rejecting disproportional TRICARE fee hikes: DoD’s proposed budget would restructure and reduce the value of earned military health care.
“MOAA national and state leaders continue to show their commitment to never stop serving by stepping up to help ensure Congress protects the benefits our troops and their families have earned through more than a decade of service and sacrifice,” Ryan said. “In the past, these events have successfully informed legislators about the issues essential to ensuring America continues to attract and sustain a top-quality career force over the long term. Our hope is to have the same impact again this year.”
MOAA is asking people to contact their elected officials by sending a prepared message saying they oppose cutting pay and benefits and shifting costs to servicemembers, retirees, and military families. Click here for the Action Alert: http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=64057886.
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 [email protected]. Visit MOAA’s Multimedia & Press Room at http://www.moaa.org/media/default.htm.
MOAA Public Relations, Military Officers Association of America, +1 703-838-0546, [email protected]
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