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2014-2015 AFSA Legislative Platform

 

AFSA continously meets with congress to advocate for the fair and equitable treatment of all enlisted military members. Each year, the initiatives change, but AFSA remains diligent in ensuring the "voice of the stripes" is heard. In understand the current fiscal situation of our great nation, our goals will be defined, not by what is gained, but rather the level of benefit preserved for those who fought and sacrificed.

 

 

Capwiz Action Alert! (Your Voice is Needed Now!!!)

 

 

113.2.55 - Endorse 1.8% Pay Raise 

 

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) historically has two versions that eventually merge via a Conference between the two Chambers of Congress.  Both versions include a pay raise for the military but the House version (H.R. 4435) follows existing law by tying it to the Employment Cost Index (ECI) and grants an increase of 1.8%.  The Senate version (S. 2289) which has only cleared the Armed Services Committee and has yet to pass a full floor vote, actually specifies a 1% raise as does the President’s budget.

 

AFSA fought too hard for too long in closing the pay gaps between military and private sectors to stop now.  A strikingly similar scenario was encountered last year, and now for the 2nd year in a row Defense budgets directly reflect government-wide efforts to compensate for sequestration.  Whenever there is a deviation from the ECI numbers it is recreating the gap congress helped close.  So we urge our CapWiz users to communicate with elected leaders on this key issue for the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget.

 

 

113.2.51 - Tell Congress, "Do Nothing (for now)"

 

Do you want Congressional action in the area of change to pay and benefits right now? The past 12 years of unprecedented demands and sacrifices highlight how radically different military service conditions are from civilian life. Nonetheless, budget critics persist in asserting military pay, retirement, and health care benefits are unsustainable and should be slashed to resemble civilian benefit packages.

 

The FY15 defense budget proposes the following cuts to pay and benefits including:

 

  • Capping pay BELOW the Employment Cost Index (ECI) for a second year in a row

  • Reducing commissary savings for uniformed service families

  • Increasing service member's out-of-pocket housing costs

  • Replace TRICARE Prime, Standard & Remote with a three-tiered program (which will change deductibles and co-pays for Active duty family members)

 

These proposals IGNORE the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provision which creates the Military Compensation & Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC). The MCRMC reviews pay and benefits and is designed to provide recommendations on their research. These changes to the existing compensation packages negates the intent of the law as the MCRMC is not yet done completing their work!

 

Tell your President (Barack Obama), Vice President(Joseph R. Biden), U.S Senators and U.S House of Representatives how you feel about this by clicking the following link and choosing "Act - 113.2.51 Tell Congress: Do Nothing (for now)"

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