To:      EANGUS Members
From:  EANGUS National Office

Please share the following Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points with other unit members

There is an ubiquitous phrase in American Politics that seems to be ever-present here in Washington D.C and on Capitol Hill.  That phrase is “Kick the can down the road.”  For many years, Congress has struggled to pass bills that provide approval for fiscal expenditures, known as Appropriations Bills, in a timely fashion. 

Typically, there are 12 separate Appropriations bills that Congress creates each year; however, out of these bills, there really are only two that are germane to DoD.  The first bill is called Defense Appropriations and the second is called the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation.  The appropriation bills are critical pieces of legislation because they provide the funding needed for DoD to conduct business as well as the funding needed for military construction projects or facilities.  Unfortunately, for the last several years, Congress has been unable to complete the Appropriation bills in a timely manner which has forced them to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) that enables federal agencies, to include DoD, to continue to function but limits them to the funding levels from the prior year. 

In 2021, Congress missed the 30 September deadline to pass the 2022 Appropriations bills. This resulted in Congress passing a short-term Continuing Resolution.  The information below shows step by step what work Congress has done regarding the 2022 Appropriation bills.

The table above highlights how Congress continues to “Kick the can down the road” when it comes to the FY 2022 Appropriations Bills.  The constant passage of Continuing Resolutions and the inability of Congress to pass the 2022 Appropriation bills will cause an adverse effect on the National Guard Community. 

Presently, Congress is trying to move forward in an effort to complete the FY 2022 Appropriations bill.  However, since we are already more than five months into Fiscal Year 2022, it is likely that Congress will try and complete what is known as an Omnibus Bill, which means instead of building 12 separate Appropriations bills, they will combine it all into one large package. 

However, if Congress is unable to work across the aisle and in a bipartisan way between the majority and minority parties, it is very possible that Congress will continue to “Kick the can down the road” once again and will be forced to pass another Continuing Resolution before the March 11^th deadline.

Unfortunately, no one has a crystal ball and can say for certain what will happen with the FY 2022 Appropriations Bill.  What we do know is that Congress continues to struggle to find common ground and pass Appropriations bills in a timely manner.  Eventually, Congress must stop ‘Kicking the can down the road” and do the job that they were elected to do.

GI Bill Parity for the National Guard

Another important topic that EANGUS is actively working on here in Washington D.C. is GI Bill parity for National Guard and Reserve Servicemembers.  On January 12, 2022, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 1836, Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2021.  This legislation would adjust the type of service that entitles a member of the Armed Forces, Reserves, or National Guard to GI Bill eligibility. Under the bill, service by a reservist or National Guard member that is entitled to pay counts toward benefits eligibility. Such service includes training, active military service, inactive training, and general duty for which basic pay is warranted. 

Currently, the US Senate is working on their version of this legislation S. 2644, GRAD VA Educational Assistance Parity Act of 2021.

EANGUS is actively working with the Senate so that when the bills are negotiated between the House and the Senate that they keep the best parts of each bill intact.  Specifically, EANGUS would like them to include accrual time for Inactive Duty Training (IDT) (Drill Weekends) as qualifying time that is listed in the house bill and would like them to also include the immediate effective date once the legislation is approved that is listed in the Senate version.

We are optimistic the House and Senate can come to a bipartisan agreement on these two pieces of legislation and provide what will be the most consequential change to the post 9-11 GI Bill, specifically for the Reserve Component, since the inception of the program.

EANGUS Legislative Action Center

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The Foundation has received funding from USAA for  the EANGUS We Care for America COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant and Interest-Free Loan Program.

With thousands of National Guard members and their families facing financial hardships as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the United Services Automobile Association (USAA), the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) We Care for America Foundation, and the American Red Cross are teaming up to help National Guard members and families in need.

Go to the EANGUS-WCFA website for criteria to apply for COVID-19 Grants and COVID-19 Interest-Free Loans.

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Want to help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you? Simply follow the instructions below to select “EANGUS We Care for America Foundation Inc” as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They’ll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us.

How it works: 
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on “AmazonSmile” within Programs & Features
3. Select “EANGUS We Care For America Foundation Inc” as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app

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Operation VetCare was established in 2017 by EANGUS is a program designed to assist Military Service Members, Veterans, and their families who faced special issues or challenges associated with military service. This program has continued to grow over the last several years. Assistance provided through this program may vary based on the limited funds available but may assist by providing support in the form of gift cards for food, clothing, and other necessary items during a service-related crisis.  Through this program, EANGUS has been able to assist hundreds of people during a time of significant need. Click button for more information on how you can support this initiative through donations or to request assistance.

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