WASHINGTON--As Republican and Democratic congressional leaders continue negotiations with President Obama on an agreement to increase the debt ceiling, the rhetoric has become increasingly heated and worrisome to disabled veterans and others who receive federal benefit payments. For many, disability compensation and pension payments are the major source of income.
"It is time to put aside partisan bickering and political brinksmanship when it comes to the nation's sacred obligation to disabled veterans and their families," said Disabled American Veterans National Commander Wallace E. Tyson. "The men and women who have preserved and protected our precious freedoms at great personal cost simply must be guaranteed they will continue to receive their disability compensation and other benefits without interruption."
"It is outrageous that disabled veterans have become political pawns in the fight over how to increase the government's borrowing authority," Tyson said. "Whatever the outcome of the battle over the nation's debt ceiling, compensation and pension payments to disabled veterans and their families and survivors deserve the highest priority in federal spending. Their service and sacrifice is a debt the government absolutely must pay."
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Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Saturday, December 18, 2010
THE HILL: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to Become History
Senate votes 65-31 to repeal ban on gays serving openly in the military
Written by Alexander Bolton and Roxana Tiron, The Hill
(Washington, DC – The Hill) - The Clinton-era policy banning gays from serving openly in the military will soon be history after the Senate voted Saturday afternoon to repeal it.
Eight Republican senators joined almost the entire Senate Democratic conference to approve by a vote of 65 to 31 a measure repealing the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
GOP Sens. Scott Brown (Mass.), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Olympia Snowe (Maine) were expected to vote yes. Sens. Richard Burr (N.C.), John Ensign (Nev.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and George Voinovich (Ohio) were late surprises.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) was absent.
The vote hands President Obama his second major victory of the lame-duck session of Congress after lawmakers approved an $858 billion package of tax relief and unemployment benefits.
“Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend,” Obama said in a statement.
“By ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay,” Obama said. “And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.”
The Senate voted 63 to 33 earlier in the day to end a Republican filibuster of the bill. Burr and Ensign supported the filibuster but later defected to vote yes for final passage.
Obama pledged to repeal “Don’t ask, don’t tell” during the 2008 campaign and came under heavy pressure from gay-rights advocacy groups to end discrimination against gays in the military.
Obama held off on pushing Congress to approve a repeal until recent months as he focused on passing healthcare reform and improving the economy.
The president told reporters at a press conference shortly after the mid-term election he hoped lawmakers would approve the repeal during the lame-duck session.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Obama’s opponent in the 2008 presidential election, blasted the president for pushing a major policy between the midterm election and the Republican takeover of the House next year.
“Here we are about six weeks after an election that repudiated the agenda of the other side, we are jamming — or trying to jam major issues through the Senate of the United States because they know they can’t get it done beginning next Jan. 5,” McCain said.
Repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” appeared in doubt earlier this fall when Senate Republicans twice voted to block defense authorization legislation that included the measure.
Collins was the only Republican to vote to advance the defense bill with a repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” when it came to the floor Dec. 9.
The repeal gained new life, however, after Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) announced he would separate the repeal from the broader defense bill and advance it as a free-standing measure.
The effort to allow gays to serve openly in the military is not over, however.
The repeal measure requires the president and the secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to send a certification to Congress declaring they have considered the recommendations contained in the Pentagon Working Group report on repealing “Don’t ask, don’t tell."
They must also certify that the Department of Defense has prepared the necessary policies and regulations to implement the repeal and that those policies are consistent with military standards for readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention.
Supporters estimate it affects more than 60,000 military personnel.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell,” a policy established under former President Bill Clinton, will not be repealed until 60 days after Obama submits the certification to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, endorsed the study and pressed Congress to pass the repeal to avoid having courts resolve the issue.
Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, called on Gates to suspend all investigations and disciplinary action against gay service members while the implementation of the new policy is pending.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) endorsed Savis’s request at a press conference Tuesday.
Democratic leaders have clinched a big victory for gay-rights activists with only a few days to spare. If Congress had not passed the repeal before the end of the year, it would have had little chance of success next year when Republicans will control the House.
Reid applauded the accomplishment.
“Repealing ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ is the right thing to do and if that were the only argument that would be enough but there’s more than that,” Reid told reporters. “Repealing this policy will make our military stronger. Someone said this is not the time to repeal this policy and they’re right. It should have been done yesterday.”
SOURCE: The Hill, http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/134373-senate-votes-65-31-to-repeal-ban-on-gays-serving-openly-in-the-military
New Wis. Senator, Congressmen Name Key Staff
Editor’s Note: Below are short articles on key staff hires for Wisconsin’s newest U.S. Senator and two Congressman.
Republican Ron Johnson defeated U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis.). Sean Duffy succeeds Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI-07), who is retiring at the end of the current 111th Congress that ends on January 3, 2011. Reid Ribble defeated Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI-08) in the November 2nd general election.
-A. H.
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Wisconsin Sen.-elect Ron Johnson chief of staff will be Don Kent
U.S. Sen.-elect Ron Johnson has chosen an experienced Washington employee as his chief of staff.
Don Kent worked for five years in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. His responsibilities included helping department officials prepare for Senate confirmations. He also served as the principal legislative adviser to then-Secretary Michael Chertoff.
Johnson says Kent's experience will be valuable in helping him establish his office.
Johnson, a Republican, defeated three-term incumbent Sen. Russ Feingold last month.
— The Associated Press
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Congressman-elect Sean Duffy has announced two key staff hires for his 7th Congressional District office.
Matt Seaholm will serve as Duffy's chief of staff. Seaholm most recently served as Duffy's campaign manager and transition director. Previously, he worked in Madison as a policy adviser for Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau.
Duffy also announced the hire of Dave Anderson as his district director. Anderson currently serves in the same capacity for Congressman Tom Petri, R-Fond Du Lac, of the 6th District. Anderson previously was deputy state director for Sen. Bob Kasten, as well as the northern representative for former Gov. Tommy Thompson.
SOURCE: http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201012180357/SPJ0101/12180489
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Representative-Elect Reid Ribble Announces Committee Assignments and New Staff Hires
-Assigned to Budget and Agriculture Committees; Chief of Staff, District Chief of Staff And Communications Positions Filled -
Green Bay - The transition office for Wisconsin-8 Representative-Elect Reid Ribble today released three staff hires for the official office as well as the incoming member's committee assignments for the next legislative session.
Representative-elect Ribble will serve on the Budget Committee and the Agriculture Committee when he takes office on January 5th 2011.
"Given the needs of our district and nation at this moment, I can't think of two better committees on which to serve," said Ribble. "The Agriculture Committee allows me to assist our diverse farming, timber and dairy base here in the district. And, of course, the Budget Committee provides the unique opportunity and challenge to get our massive spending under control at this critical time in our nation's history."
Representative-elect Ribble also announced the hiring of three senior staff members for his official office.
McKay Daniels will serve as the Washington, DC Chief of Staff, Rick Sense as the District Chief of Staff and Brandon Moody will serve as Communications Director.
"I'm excited about each of these three hires. Each brings a unique perspective and wealth of talent to our team," Ribble said. "We're ready to get to work for the people of Wisconsin."
Short bios of each hire can be found below.
Additional Information on the Budget Committee can be found here: http://budget.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=1797
Additional Information on the Agriculture Committee can be found here: http://agriculture.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=25&LSBID=23|64|65
Chief of Staff, McKay Daniels - With nearly fifteen years of managerial, political, and public policy experience McKay Daniels brings a diverse background to the position of Chief of Staff. Currently a partner with Ryan Erwin and Associates -- a political and government affairs firm -- McKay oversaw the 2010 Ribble election campaign. Prior to joining Ryan Erwin and Associates, McKay served as Executive Director of both the Nevada and California Republican Parties where he supervised all aspects of the organizations' activities. Previously he also served as Director of Operations for the California Republican Party where he was responsible for the twenty-five-person organization's day-to-day operations and management of the annual budget exceeding $30 million. Throughout his career McKay has also been engaged in public policy efforts. In 2007 McKay served as Senior Policy Advisor to Nevada Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki where he focused on economic development, renewable energy, and business issues.
District Chief of Staff, Rick Sense. Rick Sense brings to the District Chief of Staff position local knowledge and wide experience. Sense has spent the last three years at Community First Credit Union, headquartered in Appleton as Senior Vice President of Planning, Government and Community Relations. During his nearly 20 years with Community First he served in many capacities from communications to public policy. A native of Wisconsin's Eighth Congressional District, Sense has also served as the Director of Development at Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin.
Brandon Moody, Communications Director.Brandon served as Campaign Manager for Ribble for Congress, 2010. He is formerly a Vice President in the domestic division of Marsh Copsey + Associates, a political media and communications firm based in Washington, DC. Moody has worked directly as a staff member, manager and consultant on dozens of campaigns at the legislative, congressional, and statewide level for a decade. He brings a wide-array of communications-related experience to the job. In addition to his domestic work, he spent several months in the Middle East in 2008, working on communications and democracy-building projects for clients.
SOURCE: Campaign Email
Sunday, December 12, 2010
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