ROA advocates for additions to USERRA at congressional hearing
ROA’s legislation and military policy director, Matthew Schwartzman, testified June 14 before Congress on the need to ensure reserve component servicemembers and military spouses are afforded effective employment and reemployment protections under the law. Read and watch via interactive position paper here.
On June 14, ROA Director of Legislation and Military Policy Matthew Schwartzman answers a question from Chairman Van Orden on the need to ensure that courts cannot award a prejudgment interest rate that is lower than what is offered at the state level. (Source: Screen from House of Representatives video)
ROA working to restore readiness for the U.S. Public Health Service
On June 3, President Biden signed the Fiscal Relief Act. This is the bipartisan government spending compromise that ensured the U.S. would not default on its debt. Unfortunately, there was a provision that takes 84 million dollars from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
This funding was used to support the USPHS Ready Reserve program and provide necessary training for the whole Corps. ROA is leading the fight to replenish the money lost and provide a permanent funding source for the USPHS moving forward.
Call to Action: Join ROA’s Minuteman Movement and write your elected officials to save the USPHS Ready Reserve,
click here.
ROA announces support for Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act
Recently, Reps. Hillary Scholten and Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon introduced the Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act. Aligned with ROA Resolutions 21-17 and 19-07, this legislation ensures that members of the U.S. Coast Guard are compensated for their work during government shutdowns. In 2019, the Coast Guard was the only branch of the armed forces not compensated while on duty during the shutdown. This left more than 6,000 reservists working without pay.
Call to Action: Join ROA’s Minuteman Movement and write your elected officials in support of the Pay Our Coast
Guard Parity Act, please
click here.
ROA fighting for surviving families of reserve component service
On July 20, 2022, Sergeant First Class Michael Clark tragically died during a 30-day training exercise in Fort Gordon, Georgia. However, because he died within 30 days on a training exercise while serving in a reserve component, his family was forced off TRICARE Reserve Select after six months. ROA is working closely with Reps. Joe Courtney, Trent Kelly and Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren to ensure reserve component surviving families can remain on TRICARE for up to three years, no different than the active component.
Call to Action: Join ROA’s Minuteman Movement and write your elected officials in support of the Sergeant
First Class Michael Clark TRICARE Reserve Parity Act, click here.