Leahy Continues Fight
To Expand Guard Healthcare
And Retirement Benefits

WASHINGTON (Wednesday, Feb. 9) – Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers Wednesday introduced legislation to build on the health care insurance breakthroughs they have won for the 800,000 men and women of the National Guard and Reserves in the last two years, and also to reform Guard retirement benefits so they are more on par with those of the active duty forces.

At a Capitol Hill news conference, Leahy and his allies unveiled the Guard and Reserve Readiness and Retention Act of 2005, building on reforms they successfully advanced and enacted last year that have made more citizen-soldiers eligible for TRICARE, the military’s healthcare plan.  With Leahy were Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), George Allen (R-Va.), and Reps. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.). 

“We owe these citizen-soldiers and airmen more than just our gratitude,” said Leahy, the co-chair of the Senate National Guard Caucus.  “Since 9/11 we are relying more and more on our Guard and Reserves.  Our plan is about readiness and fairness.  It will vastly increase the likelihood that members of the Guard will be healthy when they report for duty.  It is about fairness for them and for their families.  It is time that we make the investment in the men and women in the reserves on par with the sacrifice they are making for us. Our Guard has never been more important to our national security.  They are doing the job we are asking them to do, and then some.  We cannot afford to let our Guard down.”

In 2003 and 2004, in a major breakthrough for the Guard, Leahy and a similar coalition of lawmakers successfully worked to make uninsured members of the Guard and Reserves eligible for TRICARE and to offer the program to the Guardsmen, Reservists and their families during and after activation.  The new bill would further expand this program to make TRICARE available to all members of the National Guard and Reserves at a reasonable monthly premium. 

The legislation also continues their previous year’s efforts to make Reservists and Guardsmen eligible for retirement benefits before the age of 60 based on length of service.  As the Guard has continued to struggle with low retention and recruitment rates, Leahy said changes to the retirement system may encourage soldiers to decide to stay in the Guard and Reserves. 

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Remarks Of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy
Introduction Of The Guard And Reserve Readiness Act Of 2005
February 9, 2005

Two weeks ago I attended another send-off ceremony in Vermont for more than 300 more brave members of the Vermont National Guard, who are headed for service in Iraq.  Many of you may have read about that ceremony on the front page of today’s Washington Post, and about the inordinate contributions and sacrifices that our small state of Vermont has made in reservist call-ups since 9-11.

That was not the first such ceremony I have attended in the last two years, and it will not be the last, and each one of us on this platform knows the emotional punch that these send-offs pack.  These ceremonies are steeped in feelings of admiration for our soldiers and compassion for their families, and hovering in the air is the profound sense of duty and honor and the impending sacrifices of long separation.  We look into the eyes of our departing troops, and into the eyes of their loved ones, and we tell them that we will do all we can to fully provide for their needs. 

That is why we are here.  And that is why we have been working so long and hard, nonstop, to give our National Guard troops and their families a health insurance system that they deserve.   

Since 9-11 we have been relying more and more on our National Guard and Reserves.  Just from my own small state of Vermont, we have almost 1200 men and women in various stages of deployment in the Middle East.  Hundreds are about to embark on a yearlong deployment in Iraq.  Members of the National Guard and Reserve have left their families, their civilian professions, and their chosen communities to face uncertain dangers.

We owe these citizen-soldiers and airmen more than just our gratitude.  We owe them new authorities and new benefits to help them remain as ready as possible.  This strong bipartisan coalition will keep at it until we achieve our goal for them.

Our plan will vastly increase the likelihood that our service-members will be healthier before they report to duty.  A healthier force is a readier force.

The second part of the bill allows members of the Guard and Reserve to access their well-earned retirement benefits earlier than the current age of 60, which is five years after the age when active duty forces can receive their retirement pay.  There is no justification to deny someone the benefits they have accrued.

Our announcement today signals a breakthrough in our effort.  We have made progress in the past two years enacting TRICARE reforms based on our Senate legislation.  Now it will be very helpful to a have a companion piece of legislation in the House of Representatives.  It sometimes feels like we are starting about 50 yards behind the starting line because we have not had a similar effort on the other side of the Capitol.  The work with the House will put us that much closer to our final goal.

As the co-chair of the Senate National Guard Caucus, it is easy to tally the reasons for this bill, and for the steps we have already achieved.  Improved readiness.  Fairness for our National Guard and for their families.  It is time that we make the investment in the men and women in the reserves on par with the sacrifice they are making for us.

Our Guard has never been more important to our national security.  They are doing the job we are asking them to do, and then some.  We cannot afford to let our Guard down. 

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