Contact your Representatives and Senators and urge them to consider in the Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), strategy over budget when deciding which platforms to fund and which ones to cut, keeping with the Navy’s goal of a 300 plus fleet.  It is important that as these tough budget decisions are being made, that the Department of Defense (DOD) look at the ships and platforms that have proven themselves as a value in both capability and cost, than to make indiscriminate cuts just because they are newer platforms.

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Contact your Representatives and Senators and urge them to support S. 2121, introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), and H.R. 4045, introduced by Representative John Kline (MN-02), which would allow sailors who were deployed before 1 October 2011 to keep the time promised to them under the conditions of their enlistment/commission.

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Contact your Representatives and Senators and urge them to re-evaluate the President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13), addressing the reduction in 3,000 Active Duty Navy, 3,700 Navy Reserve, and 4,800 Active Duty Marines from Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) authorized levels as the FY13 National Defense Authorization Act is being considered by the House and Senate.  Currently Representative Allen West (R-FL-22 ) has a bill, H.R. 4294 the Limited End Strength Reduction Act, that addresses these force reductions as well.

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Contact your Representatives and Senators and urge them to support and cosponsor H.R. 4051, introduced by Representative Marlin Stutzman (R-IN-03) on 16 February 2012, and S. 2246, introduced by Senator John Boozman (R-AR) on 28 March 2012, the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Modernization Act.  Both bills would direct the Secretary of Labor to provide off-base training to military veterans and their families.

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Contact your Senators and urge them to support consideration and passage of S. 491, introduced by Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) on 4 March 2011, and H.R. 1025 (respectively), introduced by Representative Tim Walz (D-MN-01) and passed the House on 11 October 2011, which would amend title 38, United States Code, to recognize the service in the reserve components of the Armed Forces of certain persons by honoring them with status as veterans under law.

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Contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to support H.R. 4155, introduced by Representative Jeff Denham (R-CA-19) on 7 March 2012 and S. 2239, introduced by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) on 27 March 2012, the Veteran Skills to Jobs Act.  The bills would direct the head of each Federal department and agency to treat relevant military training as sufficient to satisfy training or certification requirements for Federal licenses.

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Contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to support H.R. 2182, introduced by Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA-11) on 15 June 2011 and S. 1734, introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on 19 October 2011, the Generating Antibiotics Incentives Now (GAIN) Act. The bills would provide incentives for the development of qualified infectious disease products.

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Contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to support H.R. 3612, introduced by Representative Chris Gibson (R-NY-20) on 8 December 2012 and S. 1629, introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) on 23 September 2011.  The bills would amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam.

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Contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to support H.R. 3895, introduced by Representative Jeff Miller (R-FL-01) on 3 February 2012 and S. 2128, introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) on 17 February 2012.  The bills would amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to clarify that all veterans programs are exempt from sequestration.

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Contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to support H.R. 4164, introduced by Representative Don Young (R-AK-At Large) on 7 March 2012 and S. 2112, introduced by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) on 15 February 2012. The bills would amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize space-available travel on military aircraft for members of the reserve components, a member or former member of a reserve component who is eligible for retired pay but for age, widows and widowers of retired members, and dependents.

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