1. Legislative
Awareness
Week
October 1-7, 2017

2. AFSA Preamble
With reverence for God and Country, and being ever mindful of our responsibility to aid in maintaining a superior defense for our beloved country; ​our interest in the welfare of persons who served and are serving in the Air Force; our devotion to our fellow enlisted members and their families in fortune and distress; and our reverence for the memory of our departed comrades, we unite to further the aims and objectives of this association.
WHY WE EXIST AS AN ASSOCIATION. OUR PREAMBLE OPENS US UP TO NUMEROUS AREAS, BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF LEGISLATIVE AWARENESS:
MAINTAIN AEROSPACE DEFENSE = PROCUREMENT, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, MODERNIZATION
OBTAIN HIGHEST CALIBER = RECRUIT & RETAIN FOR USAF (AFSA MEMBERSHIP IS SECONDARY)
WELFARE OF PERSONS = PAY & BENEFITS (MILPAY, MEDICAL, RETIREMENT, ETC)
TO INCLUDE FAMILY MEMBERS!
AIMS & OBJECTIVES = OUTLINED IN THE ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM APPROVED BY OR MEMBERS AT AFSA’s ANNUAL CONVENTION

3. Congress Basics
EACH NUMBERED CONGRESS LASTS FOR TWO YEARS. ALL PUBLIC LAWS SIGNED
DURING THAT CONGRESS BEGIN WITH THAT NUMBER. FOR EXAMPLE:
PUBLIC LAW 115-1, PUBLIC LAW 115-2, ETC.
WHILE THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS SOUNDS SIMPLE, IT IS ALWAYS POLITI-
CALLY INFLUENCED, AND 535 ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE DRIVEN BY PERSONAL OPINIONS, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE, AND OUTSIDE FORCES.
18 PERCENT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE 115TH CONGRESS ARE MILITARY
VETERANS. THEREFORE, A MAJOR AFSA MISSION IS TO EDUCATE THE
OTHER 82 PERCENT!
Note that unpassed legislation expires at the end of each numbered Congress; it does not carry over from one Congress to the next.

4. What does that mean? And how does it affect me?
JUST LIKE THE USAF HAS IT’S OWN LANGUAGE AND ACRONYMS, SO TOO DOES THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

5. Appropriations vs. Authorizations
AN EASY ANALOGY IS YOUR GROCERIES // YOU “APPROPRIATE” A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF YOUR BUDGET TOWARDS GROCERY SHOPPING // YOU “AUTHORIZE” $X FOR MILK, $Y FOR BREAD, $Z FOR VEGETABLES, ETC
APPROPRIATIONS AND AUTHORIZATIONS ARE INTRICATELY LINKED BUT ONLY APPROPRIATIONS ARE CONSIDERED “MANDATORY LEGISLATION” // THERE ARE 12 ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS BILLS EACH YEAR, DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BEING JUST ONE, THAT FUND THE COUNTRY // AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE FUNDING (APPROPRIATION) YOU CAN IN THEORY SURVIVE WITHOUT A SEPARATE SPENDING PLAN (AUTHORIZATION) // AUTHORIZATION LANGUAGE CAN BE INCLUDED IN AN APPROPRIATIONS BILL, ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR A SEPARATE BILL
AUTHORIZATION BILLS (NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT) WILL OFTEN HAVE PROVISIONS OF INTEREST IN ADDITION TO BUDGET // NDAA – 21 DAYS PERMISSIVE TDY AUTHORIZED FOR ADOPTIONS // SOMETIMES AN NDAA IS INTERESTING BECAUSE OF WHAT IT DOESN’T HAVE IN IT // NDAA – HOUSE VERSION DOES NOT ADDRESS MILITARY PAY RAISES // BY LAW, ECI SAYS 2.4% AND BY NOT SPECIFYING ANOTHER PERCENTAGE THE HOUSE IS SAYING FOLLOW THE ECI // SENATE VERSION LISTED PAY RAISES AT 2.1% SO THEY ARE SUGGESTING SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM EXISTING LAW (ECI).

6. Budget Control Act of 2011 & Sequestration
SEQUESTRATION IS A MECHANISM TO INITIATE THE CUTS, THAT MECHANISM IS CODIFIED INTO LAW BY THE BCA OF // IN ORDER TO STOP SEQUESTRATION, CONGRESS MUST ACTUALLY ADDRESS (AMEND OR REPEAL) THE BCA // SEQUESTRATION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SUCH A GROSS OPTION THAT IT WOULD INSPIRE CONGRESS TO TAKE OTHER STEPS WITH THE BCA AND NEVER OCCUR // BUT…
IN A CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE (CBO) REPORT IN NOVEMBER 2012, THERE WAS A LINE ITEM SUGGESTING $54 BILLION OF DEFICIT REDUCTION COULD OCCUR BY THE YEAR 2020 IF THEY WERE TO “ALLOW THE AUTOMATIC ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES IN THE BUDGET CONTROL ACT TO TAKE EFFECT” ((“AUTOMATIC ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES” = CUT MECHANISM = SEQUESTRATION))
IN DECEMBER OF 2012, THE “SUPER COMMITTEE” OF BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE MEMBERS FAILED TO RESOLVE DIFFERENCES, THUS FAILING TO PREVENT SEQUESTRATION
IN MARCH OF 2013, SEQUESTRATION WAS TRIGGERED // DID THE TALK MATCH THE WALK?
THUS FAR, CONGRESS HAS AUTHORIZED PARTIAL PATCHES TO ACCOUNT FOR SOME OF THE ILL EFFECTS OF SEQUESTRATION BUT IT WILL NOT GO AWAY UNLESS THEY REPEAL IT.

7. Conference Members report back to each chamber with agreed changes.
PUBLIC LAW
Assuming it passes Conference, the Bill is then sent to the President for consideration.
Conference Members report back to each chamber with agreed changes.
A select number of Members from both chambers meet and resolve differences
Language refined and amendments proposed. Must pass Full Senate before starting a Conference.
Hearings held, language refined and amendments proposed. Must pass vote before reported to Full Senate
Hearings held, language refined and amendments proposed. Must pass vote before reported to Full Committee
Bill is read to the Committee and referred to the appropriate Subcommittee
Bill is read to the Full Senate and referred to the appropriate Committee
Language refined and amendments proposed. Must pass Full House before reported to Senate.
Hearings held, language refined and amendments proposed. Must pass vote before reported to the Full House
Hearings held, language refined and amendments proposed. Must pass vote before reported up to the Full Committee
Bill is read to the Full Committee and referred to the appropriate Subcommittee
Bill is read to the Full House of Representatives and referred to the appropriate Committee
An idea becomes formalized into a Bill
THIS IS THE FLOW OF LEGISLATION IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS “REGULAR ORDER” // AT ANY POINT ALONG THE WAY A BILL CAN FAIL // MANY TIMES A BILL NEEDS TO BE INTRODUCED, OR REINTRODUCED, A NUMBER OF TIMES BEFORE IT WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THE PROCESS // WHEN A COMMITTEE FAILS TO TAKE ACTION, OR ACTUALLY VOTES AND IT FAILS, THE BILL IS SAID TO HAVE “DIED IN COMMITTEE”

8. 2016 Legislative Gains
Won a 2.1% pay raise versus the 1.6% requested by DoD
Blocked a Senate proposal to cut BAH for housing sharers including dual-mil couples
Won $30 million in Impact Aid for school districts serving large numbers of mil children
Won a provision basing former spouse retired pay division on grade/years of service at divorce*
Blocked a proposal to impose annual TFL enrollment fee of up to 2% of mil retired pay
Blocked a DoD proposal to double TRICARE pharmacy copays over 10 years
Won elimination of preauthorization requirement for urgent care
Won recognition of all retired members of G/R as Veterans*
Won extension of Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) through May 2018
Won upgraded SBP formula for G/R members who die while on inactive duty for training
Won authorization of up to 12 weeks of paid leave for service member primary caregiver after childbirth; 21 days for service member who is secondary caregiver
EVEN WITH NUMEROUS BUDGETARY HURDLES BEFORE US, GOOD WORK IS STILL BEING DONE BY AFSA ON CAPITOL HILL!
Protecting BAH and TRICARE benefits were last year’s chief accomplishments
CONTINUING THE PAY RAISE FIGHT SEEMS TO BE AN ANNUAL EVENT
Extending VETERAN STATUS TO RESERVE COMPONENT MEMBERS IS a PRIME example of “taking care of our own.”

9. FY 2018 Defense Appropriations not passed
PENDING ISSUES
FY 2018 Defense Appropriations not passed
Continuing Resolution (CR) expires December 8, 2017
FY 2018 NDAA and possible veto
Debt Ceiling limit reached again; now $20T+
Seemingly continuous political contention
It has been 20 years since the 12 annual appropriations bills were passed in regular order (On time).
The government will continue to operate through December 8 thanks to a temporary funding bill called a continuing resolution (CR).
Not to be confused with its close cousin, the defense appropriations bill, Congress has yet to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as well. This legislation authorizes the overwhelming majority of DoD related programs including pay and benefits.
Lawmakers have continued work on the funding bills and the NDAA.
A number of Veterans bills have been passed this year to include continued funding for the VA Choice Program and the “Forever GI Bill”

10. Please take time to visit the Legislative Action Center on the AFSA Webpage!
Here you will find information on AFSA's Legislative Program to include the Annual Legislative Platform, surveys, Chapter Legislative Involvement, Communicating with Elected Officials, and tips for conduction your own congressional office visit.

11. The Voter Voice program allows you to communicate directly with your elected officials using sample letters on hot button issues, or, you can craft a letter of you own on an issue of your choosing.
Voter Voice can help you figure out who represents you, provides contact information for local media outlets, provide information on upcoming hearings and other congressional activity.

12.
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Air Force Sergeants Association