This is MOAA's legislative update for Friday, January 10, 2003.

Issue 1: Congress Returns...Briefly. House and Senate organizing for action.

Issue 2: Budget Battles Pose Challenges. Competing big-ticket priorities and looming deficits will make our job tough in 2003, but that doesn't mean there won't be winnable battles.

Issue 3: DoD Forms Identity Theft Task Force. Security assessment aimed at preventing future break-ins, protecting data.

Issue 4: Retirees to Rally in Support of Class Act Suit. A Washington demonstration is scheduled for February 12.

Issue 1: Congress Returns…Briefly

On Tuesday, the 108th Congress convened and began its 2003 session. On Thursday, most House members left town and won't be back until the week of January 27. But the House is still ahead of the Senate in getting ready for the new year.

Yesterday, House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) announced a reorganization of HASC subcommittees. The Military Personnel Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) will become the Total Force Subcommittee and will absorb the responsibilities of the Panel on Morale, Welfare and Recreation. Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA) chairs the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee (covering most Army and Air Force programs). Rep Joel Hefley (R-CO) heads the Readiness Subcommittee. The Strategic Forces Subcommittee, led by Rep. Terry Everett (R-AL), will be in charge of missile defense, space and energy programs. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) chairs the Projection Forces Subcommittee, overseeing Navy and Marine Corps programs and deep strike bombers. Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ) will lead a new Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee.

On the Senate side, things are a little more complicated, because the Democrats still technically hold the committee chairs until a new organizational agreement is reached. That gives them a little more clout in wrangling between the two parties over division of budgets, staff, committee representation, etc. Hopefully, those things will be resolved shortly so the Senate can get down to business.

Meanwhile, legislators in both chambers have begun the process of reintroducing unfinished bills from last year and introducing new ones. There's a several-day lag between introduction and getting this information into Congress' Web-accessible base, so we'll defer listing the new bills of interest until next week's update.

Among the most urgent are initiatives that would stop or reverse the 4.4% cut in Medicare payments to providers that is scheduled for March 1. Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has introduced a resolution that would effectively freeze Medicare payments at the 2002 rates. Legislators would then use the rest of the session to craft a more permanent resolution.


Sempers,

Roger