In this pivotal year for our nation’s servicemembers and veterans, MOAA remains at the forefront in the fight for key legislative changes. Our spring campaign event, Advocacy in Action, saw hundreds of supporters from across the nation gathering on Capitol Hill to spotlight critical issues affecting the uniformed services and veteran communities.
MOAA is grateful to you and others who have engaged in our advocacy efforts through MOAA’s Legislative Action Center. To sustain this momentum, we are urging you and our more than 360,000 members to engage with elected officials during the congressional summer recess. Legislators will be in their home states for the next month, providing a unique opportunity for personal outreach.
Key MOAA advocacy priorities:
Junior Enlisted Pay Raise: Competitive pay remains critical to the health of the all-volunteer force, and both the House and the Senate seek to address this issue in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House NDAA calls for servicemembers E-1 to E-4 to receive a 15% pay raise beyond the 4.5% earmarked for all in uniform. While the Senate version calls for an additional 1% increase for servicemembers E-1 to E-3 (beyond the 4.5% raise).
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Restoration: Access to quality housing and promoting financial wellness are important to sustaining the all-volunteer force. Restoring BAH addresses both issues. The House version of the NDAA would restore BAH to 100% for FY 2025 – a move toward MOAA’s goal of full repeal of the BAH reduction, but not a permanent fix. Unfortunately, the Senate version does not address the issue.
Major Richard Star Act: Tens of thousands of combat-injured veterans lose a dollar of earned DoD retirement pay for every dollar of VA disability compensation. For three years in a row, over two-thirds of Congress has supported the Star Act, which would end that unjust financial offset. Despite this vast support, neither version of the NDAA includes the bill. However, it is critical lawmakers continue to hear about this important issue, especially as we approach the start of the 119th Congress.
Your participation amplifies our collective voice in shaping policies that support our nation’s servicemembers past and present, and their families. Thank you for your continued dedication to MOAA’s mission.
Best Regards,
Maj. Gen. April Vogel, USAF (Ret) Vice President, Government Relations Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) 201 N Washington Street Alexandria, VA 22314 800.234.6622 www.moaa.org
Take action on a myriad of legislative areas which directly affect the active military, retirees and veterans.
MOAA Legislative Priorities for 2024
As the legislative slate is wiped clean for the 118th Congress, grassroots support becomes even more vital to achieving MOAA’s advocacy objectives.
MOAA needs your help to keep momentum for existing priorities such as the Major Richard Star Act, which would benefit tens of thousands of combat-injured veterans and had the support of two-thirds of Congress at the end of last session. We also need your work on behalf of new objectives and emergent issues, often via immediate action to keep up with the stop-and-go pace of legislation. To keep connected, ensure you are signed up for The MOAA Newsletter and register as an advocate at our Legislative Action Center.
ere is a look at MOAA’s priorities, in support of the 50th anniversary of our all-volunteer force and to address the challenges facing our uniformed community. Note: Our advocacy team remains active on many other issues not listed here; our priorities will be shaped throughout the year depending on concurrent successes or emerging issues that warrant an all-hands approach. Additionally, we share many interests with The Military Coalition and other stakeholder groups, and leverage those relationships to expand our reach on Capitol Hill.
