What the Midterm Election Means to You

December 2010 Navy

By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret)

Change (or to transform) is a complex process in the hands of politicians or governmental officials and voters. Seldom do those using the term really know what it means in terms of the US Government process since candidates are by nature only trying to get our votes, donations, and cooperation. “Change” means to transform, revolutionize, modify or anything that the user wishes to define the word. I would say that a politician that uses it in reference to their intentions to change the government are just speaking sound bites since the founders of the Republic made it especially hard to change or modify anything quickly by the government unless it involved the consent of the governed. The founders of the Constitution did not want laws to change at the whim of anyone. What an innovative idea that has lasted a long, long time in the US!

Seldom do politicians study or view the Constitution when they are campaigning. They do lay out an agenda or goals or a platform. For anything to change, three branches of the US Government have to agree: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. Doing this quickly is never easy and shouldn’t be. We have had over 230 years of executing our form of government. For the most part, it is a very successful process.

The Executive Branch cannot make laws. The Executive Branch does propose new laws and does implement the laws that are made. Only the Legislative Branch can make laws. You, the American voter made that perfectly clear in the midterm 2010 elections. To have the massive exit of politicians that have served in the House of Representatives and Senate for many years indicates that the voters are paying close attention to what is going on in the Legislative Branch, and also in the Executive Branch. This voter-check happens after every major Presidential election. The American voter normally interprets how the new Administration is doing and provides a midcourse correction or a statement of the Executive Branch’s efforts through the midterm elections. I use the term “Executive Branch” to include all of the Cabinet and the White House because that is what it really is – all of the Cabinet and the White House. However, the voters this time sent a message to all incumbents in the Legislative Branch as well as the Executive Branch. Voters have had enough of stalemate, non-negotiations, and individualism. Many good public servants lost their positions, and I for one believe that is a good thing for the most part. However, you the voter must remember that the Navy lost a “few good friends” in the election. Experience does count in some areas.

As I have stated in previous writings, divided government in the US is the best form of governing for these United States. Why? Divided government is the best for the US because there is a balance of power and a balance of ideas and often negotiations lead to the best provisions. One side providing all the inputs, legislative issues, and execution of the laws loses sight of what “we the people” really want from our government.

The 2010 midterm elections provide our Association with unseen opportunities to make sure the United States Navy is strong and fully manned for now and in the future to execute current maritime strategy and future unknown maritime strategies.

The first opportunity we have is in the budget process. Currently, we hear a lot of debate and rhetoric about cuts to Defense. This is not the time to cut the Defense budget – when we are still engaged in a worldwide battle against an unseen enemy, engaged in two wars, and facing chaos in the economic world. I believe this is not the time to cut manpower for appropriations reasons as we have done in the past in the Navy. We have in the past cut manpower just to balance the Navy Total Obligation Authority. History is fraught with the idea of cutting the Defense budget and the Navy budget – because we “can’t afford” the defense of our nation. This idea never has led to a better, more secure nation and rarely leads to a better, ready Naval force. Cutting to balance the budget leads to some form of failure or miscalculation. The Pentagon miscalculates the next emergency constantly. Efficiency is as important as any process and we need to find ways to be more efficient without cuts to manpower just to balance the budget. There are efficiencies to be found.

Most voters are tired of spending. The Defense budget has never been less when it is measured against the GDP. In fact, the current Defense budget is the lowest since WWII when measured against the GDP. I agree, anyone will agree, that we need not spend for defense in a reckless manner. The Department of Defense and the Services do have inefficiencies because of their mere size. We have to find inefficiencies and eliminate them. You the voter deserve to get the best and that is why you voted the way you did. The US Budget is under attack from within and due to our own reckless spending. If Defense is recklessly spending then, yes, we need to cut it. However, all departments of the US Government can be cut. Now is the time for our elected leaders to make those difficult and not-so-political calls on spending.

Before we cut across the board on manpower, benefits, service members, veterans or family issues, I suggest the following as efficiencies that the Defense Department can implement to save money:

• 25% cut in all executive travel, all Executive Branches, including the White House.
• 25% cut in all Congressional travel outside of the US.
• 25% cut in all Executive Branch new hires.
• Freeze executive-level pay raises to the same level of any military – federal work raise. on the hill
• 25% cut in any Defense or Service publication (hard copies).
• 20-to-30% cut in any conference, or attendance at any conference.
• No more color PowerPoint briefs – we are all tired of it anyway; sell the issue on its own merits.
• Realize that too many commands between Sailor and Leadership only breed bizarre redundancies – and cut out the commands that only find positions for upper management and leaders.

While I am sure this does not get into the billions of dollars needed to release monies for the real warfigther and the equipment needed, it would start a process of cutting inefficiencies and waste at the upper, middle, and lower levels.

As we move into the new 112th Congress, the following are key legislative goals we are going to attempt to push forward; these are only guiding principles in some cases:

Health Care Issues/Active & Reserve

Support Funding for Defense Health Program. Continue working with Congress and DoD to ensure adequate and full funding for the Defense Health Program.

Protection of VA and DoD Health Care Programs. Continue to work for protection of VA and Service menbers’ health care in any national health care reform.

Oppose TRICARE Enrollment Fees. The Defense Department has not sufficiently investigated other options to make TRICARE more cost-efficient as alternatives to shifting costs for any TRICARE program and other health care benefits to retiree beneficiaries under age 65, or Reserve Component members.

Active & Reserve Duty Personnel Issues

Ensure adequate personnel strengths and associated funding in order to meet national security strategy requirement and CNO Maritime Strategy.

Manpower/End-Strength Active Duty Personnel End-Strengths & Reserve Component.

• Track manpower levels to ensure there are an adequate number of personnel available to meet the demands of operational requirements, including current OIF/ OEF and contingency operations.
• Sustain adequate recruiting and retention resources to enable the uniformed services to achieve required optimumquality personnel strengths.

Support a Defense budget of at least 5% of GDP to fund both people and weapons needs.

Active Duty/Reserve Component Pay. Secure additional annual pay increases that are at least .5% above the Employment Cost Index (ECI) along with targeted increases.

• Oppose initiatives to “civilianize” the military pay and retirement system in ways that reduce the value of the current military compensation system and undermine long-term retention.

Navy Equipment

Navy Equipment. Surface and Undersea Platforms: At least $20 billion annually is needed for development and/or delivery of CVN-21, LPD-17, DDG-1000, LCS, CG(X), LHA-R, and SSN-774. We support modernization of our Aegis fleet assets. Aircraft: We support funding for aircraft to sustain at least 10 carrier air wings through multiyear procurement of F/A-18E/F, C-130J, P-8, E-2C/D and Joint Strike Fighter development.

NGREA. Reserve Components are 40+% of deployed forces in OIF/OEF. To maintain an operational Reserve Component to respond to US Navy tasking and maintain training and readiness, we support C-40A, EF/A-18 (Growler), C-130J, and P-8A for Reserve Component assignment and utilization as well as full funding for Navy Expeditionary Forces equipment.

Education

Active and Reserve Component Education Enhancements. Improve education benefits for Active Duty and Reservists and family members plus survivors of disabled or deceased veterans who died of a service-connected disability or were killed on active duty.

• The new Post 9-11 GI Bill left many Reserve members behind. We will push for a Total Force Approach to the Montgomery GI Bill.
• Review and update Joint Professional Military Education Requirements for Reserve members.

Veterans

VA Disability Claims System. AUSN goals: monitor hiring/training of additional VA claims adjudicators; compensate adjudicators at a level that will reduce chronic staff turnover; support continued investment in state-of-the-art technology and information management support.

VA Health Care. Monitor implementation of advance two-year funding authority; urge routine comprehensive review of VA’s increased appropriation; ensure VA is made accountable to meet its published access standards; continue to expand and upgrade polytrauma and other specialty care services for OIF / OEF veterans with multiple trauma injuries.

Concurrent Receipt. Continue to seek timely and comprehensive implementation of legislation that authorizes the concurrent receipt of uniformed services retired pay and VA disability compensation by expanding Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments (CRDP) to disabled retirees not eligible under the current statute, to include vesting of earned retirement credit for chapter 61 retirees with less than 20 years of service.

Disability Retirement Reform. Reform the DoD disability retirement system to require inclusion of all unfit conditions and DoD acceptance of the VA ratings for those conditions. Ensure any restructure of the DoD and VA disability and compensation systems does not inadvertently reduce compensation levels for disabled service members. Oppose distinguishing between disabilities incurred in combat vice non-combat when determining benefits eligibility for retirement.

COLA Adjustment. We support the review of how COLA for retirees is computed and urge Congress to adjust the formula to include a minimum level of increases in sync with any Active or Federal Employee increase.

The new 112th Congress will convene in January 2011 to address many important issues. Do not let Congress cut Defense just to balance a budget – there are 11 other Cabinet level positions that deserve review also. Yes, to efficiencies; no, to cuts just to balance the budget. Our National Security has never been more challenged and Congress needs to hear from you. For more information on our legislative agenda or to seek ways to let Congress know your wishes: www.ausn.org or ike.puzon@ausn.org.