Pay Our Coast Guard Act

H.R. 350 H.R. 421 S. 21 H.R. 367 H.R. 1257 S. 509 H.R. 2276 H.R. 1322 H.R. 1821 H.R. 632 H.R. 633 H.R. 3409 H.R. 3210 S. 1930 H.R. 3066 H.R. 3488 H.R. 3205 H.R. 3854 S. 2055 S. 2153 S. 2152 S. 2173 H.R. 374 H.R. 1822 H.R. 1669 H.R. 847 H.R. 2352 H.R. 815 H.R. 371 S. 1802 S. 987 S. 572 S. 811 H.R. 2157 H.R. 268 H.R. 264

Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Defense, Dept of (DOD), Education, Dept of, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Maritime Administration (MARAD), Natl Archives & Records Administration (NARA), Navy, Dept of, SENATE, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), Vice President of the U.S., White House Office

HR 365 S 21 HR 350 HR 374 HR 421

Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Defense, Dept of (DOD), Education, Dept of, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Maritime Administration (MARAD), Natl Archives & Records Administration (NARA), Navy, Dept of, SENATE, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), White House Office

HR 350/S 21, Pay Our Coast Guard Act: Pay Coast Guard personnel during the government shutdown; HR 299, Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act: Extends Agent Orange benefits to Blue Water Navy veterans - Entire Bill; HR 840, Veterans Access to Child Care Act: Provides child care to veterans during medical appointments; S 514, Deborah Sampson Act: Makes various improvements to womens' health care at Veterans Affairs facilities; HR 663/S 191, Burn Pits Accountability Act: Requires DOD to conduct routine medical exams on service-members for burn pit exposure, and report those who suffered exposure for enrollment in the Burn Pit Registry; HR 303/S 208, Retired Pay Restoration Act: Give full concurrent receipt to all veterans who retired from the military with at least 20 years active service; HR 333, Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act: Give full concurrent receipt to all veterans who retired from the military due to disability; HR 553, Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act: Eliminate the offset for Dependency Indemnity Compensation and the Survivors Benefit Plan; S 122, Purple Heart Preservation Act: Prohibit the sale of military issued Purple Heart Medals by third parties; HR 1424, The Fallen Warrior Battlefield Cross Memorial Act: Prohibit the removal of the battlefield cross from veterans cemeteries; S 30, Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries ActAllow TRICARE to cover chiropractic care for all beneficiaries; HR 1005, Burn Pit Veterans Revision Act: To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to amend the schedule for rating disabilities to add a diagnostic code and evaluation criteria for obliterative bronchiolitis; HR 1001, Family Member Access to Burn Pit Registry Act: Allow family members to enter the Burn Pit Registry when the veteran is deceased; HR 95, Homeless Veteran Families Act: Ensure that children of homeless veterans are included in the calculation of the amounts of certain per diem grants; HR 1019, Full Military Honors ActL Require a full military honors ceremony for certain deceased veterans; S 785, Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act: Various improvements to mental health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs; S 805, Veteran Debt Fairness Act of 2019 - Improve the process by which the Department of Veterans Affairs recovers overpayments; HR 801, Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act: Provide tax incentives for employers that retain reservists; Reject proposals that would weaken the defense resale system; Designate a stand-alone arthritis researchprogram at the Department of Defense; Reauthorize the Higher Education Act and close the 90/10 loophole; Do not appeal the U.S. Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit decision in Procopio v. Wilkie; Establish a Disabled Veteran Program within the U.S. Department of Labor; Request full funding for the veterans caregiver program.

Legislation and Congressional Action: HR 154 / No Senate Companion - Honoring our WWII Merchant Mariners Act of 2019 - Advocacy in support of the legislation. HR 267 (included in HR 21 and HR 648) / No Senate Companion- Transportation & HUD Appropriations Act of 2019 - Discussions with staff and members supporting inclusion of full funding for the Maritime Security Program and support of the legislation. HR 350, HR 367, HR 374, HR 421 / S.21 - Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act of 2019 and related bills - Advocacy in support of the legislation to ensure Coast Guard members were paid during the government shut down (multiple bills). HR 550 / S.133 - Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019 - Advocacy in support of the legislation and requests to members to co-sponsor in both houses. HOUSE / SENATE DRAFT - National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 - Discussions with staff regarding timing, provisions concerning the merchant marine including reauthorization of the Maritime Security Program. HOUSE DRAFT - Coast Guard Reauthorization Act - Preliminary discussions with staff regarding this year's Coast Guard reauthorization bill. HOUSE DRAFT - Aquaculture Act - Discussion with staff regarding legislation that would exempt certain aquaculture workers from coverage under the personal injury sections of the Jones Act. HOUSE DRAFT - Maritime Trade Act - Preliminary discussions with staff regarding provisions in the bill regarding mariner documentation. Legislative Initiatives and General Issue Areas: Jones Act - On-going discussions with staff about support for the Jones Act and providing rebuttals to anti-Jones Act related lobbying from various non-maritime groups. MARAD Manpower shortage - Discussions with staff and preparation of Congressional testimony in regards to addressing the current manpower shortage MARAD has identified in regards to military readiness and the Merchant Marine. Maritime Security Program full funding for FY 20-23 - Discussions and advocacy to ensure MSP is funded at levels sufficient to maintain the fleet, including increases in authorization and appropriation in future years between FY 20 and FY 23. Maritime Security Program Upgrades - Discussions with staff regarding future of the MSP, including expansions of the program to include tanker ships and an increase to the authorized amount per ship. Maritime Security Program Extension - Discussions with staff regarding a 10 year program extension through 2035. PL-480 program, reform and funding levels - Discussions with staff and members regarding the future of the PL-480 program, opposition to proposed funding cuts from the Administration, and potential areas of cooperation between maritime and recent opponents of in-kind food aid. Cargo Preference - On-going discussions and preparation of Congressional testimony in regards to increasing the percentages of cargo reserved under cargo preference programs to the U.S.-Flag fleet. Maritime regulatory issues - Discussions with staff over regulatory reform issues, particularly those that impact U.S.-Flag carriers but are not present in the foreign sailing international fleet.