Update on HR 602 the Van Hollen "Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act"

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From: Waspscpo@aol.com [mailto:Waspscpo@aol.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 11:34 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: Fw: Keep The Promise Alive In 2005: Fw: Update on HR 602 the Van Hollen.........

 


 Subj: Keep The Promise Alive In 2005: Fw: Update on HR 602 the Van Hollen "Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act" -- 08 Feb 2005 -- First Batch of Cosponsors 
Date: 2/9/2005 12:20:31 PM Eastern Standard Time
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Troops, Spouses, Widows, and Friends,
 
 Below is Phil Alperson's initial list of co-sponsors of HR 602, "Keep Our Promise To America's Military Retirees Act", the replacement Bill for our old HR 3474. As you can see this is a bi-partisan Bill with 40 Democrats and 14 Republican co-sponsors - not the numbers we would expect from Republicans, so they need encouragement.
 
 We still don't have a copy of the new Bill on the Congressional web page but it should appear any day. When we receive an official copy, it will be sent to everyone. 
 
 I assume the new HR 602 Bill language is available to every member of the House of Representatives, so there is no reason for those that previously co-sponsored HR 3474 to delay any further in cosponsoring HR 602.
 
 As of this morning, 2-09-2005 we are nearing 22,000 Brown Bag letters that have been sent to Congress and the President. Now that we have a Bill number it is very important that HR 602, Keep Our Promise To America's Military Retirees Act" be part of your Brown Bag letter. Please include language in your Brown Bag letters encouraging all Representatives to contact Rep Van Hollen's office and cosponsor HR 602, Keep Our Promise Bill.
 
We are anticipating that a companion Bill to HR 602 will be introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Tim Johnson, D-SD as early as next week.....will keep you posted.
 
 If you haven't sent your Brown Bags this week to your Representative and Senators, now is the day to get them in the mail.....for our new members, here are the addresses to use:
 
 Representative___________        Senator___________
 U.S. Capitol                                       U.S. Capitol
 Washington, D.C. 20515                 Washington, D.C. 20510
 
 President George Bush, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, D.C. 20500
 
 There's a lot of traffic in email and internet regarding the President's  budget...it matters little to us what the budget reflects at this point.....there are many months of Congressional hearings and other deals with regard to the 2006 budget. 
 
 Our direction is to continue our message that funding for earned military retiree health care is an obligation of the U.S. government and rates as high as our fight for "freedom and liberty" - we won't compromise our "freedom and liberty" and we expect Congress to honor the sacrifices and commitments to those that guarantee it.
 
 Harry Riley, CAG Rep

 
 
"It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." --Samuel Adams
 
For a comprehensive record and justification in support of our medical care restoration fight, visit:   http://mrgrg-ms.org  


----- Original Message -----

 From: Alperson, Phil
To: Alperson, Phil
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 4:43 PM
Subject: Update on the Van Hollen "Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act" -- 08 Feb 2005 -- First Batch of Cosponsors

 Hello. The following 54 Members of Congress have asked to cosponsor H.R. 602, the Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act.  This is the first group of cosponsors being added to the bill.  Below my signature block is a summary of the bill. Republican are in regular type. Democrats appear in italics.

 

Four names in Bold Type are the original sponsors of the bill.  

 

 

SUMMARY:  HR 602, The Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act 


HR 602 responds to the Federal Court ruling that only Congress, not military recruiters, can authorize what kind of care will be provided to military retirees, and that only Congress can - and should - make good on promised and earned health care.   


While Tricare works well for many military retirees, HR 602 will get health care to military retirees who are not getting the service they deserve from Tricare. 

 

It will get it to them right away because it does not require another burdensome bureaucracy to be created. 

 

HR 602 expands health care coverage for the most elderly retirees who need health care the most by waiving the Medicare Part B premiums required to enroll in Tricare for Life (TFL). 

 

And HR 602 will provide health care to ANY military retiree who is not well served by Tricare, by allowing them to elect FEHBP coverage.   


An important feature of HR 602 is that it reduces the cost of FEHBP by requiring DOD to reimburse military retirees' FEHBP expenses that normally would be covered by Tricare Standard.  HR 602 also brings down pharmacy costs for military retirees who are physically unable to use Tricare Network Pharmacies.  These provisions will help reduce the cost of health care for military retirees.   


Previous versions of HR 602 have been endorsed by MOAA, NAUS, TREA and the Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA), and many other military and veterans' service organizations.   

 

Thanks! 

PHIL ALPERSON
Legislative Director
 Congressman Chris Van Hollen (MD-8th)
 Montgomery and Prince George's Counties
1419 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC    20515
 http://www.house.gov/vanhollen/  
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