Congress begins reviewing spending proposals

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WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Congress has considered several legislative proposals since Sept. 11, 2001, designed to help reservists and their families cope with activations, high operational and personnel tempo, family separations and shifts in annual income.

One of the most recent is Senate Bill 2068, the Guard and Reserve Enhanced Benefits Act of 2004. The bill expands benefits beyond those outlined in President Bush's $401 billion proposed 2005 Department of Defense budget.

It calls for providing child-care assistance grants, expanding Montgomery GI Bill benefits, deferring student loan payments, reducing the age for drawing Reserve retirement pay and expanding Tricare coverage regardless of employment or insurance status. The bill also allows employers to claim up to $12,000 in tax credits for the pay differential of National Guard and Reserve employees.

"Congress will begin its markup of the president's budget for DOD in early May," said Wayne Gracie, director of policy integration in the Office of the Air Force Reserve. "It will take a close look at (the bill) and other proposals. Some of the provisions have been recommended before and have not been enacted into law."

In its review, one major factor that Congress will take into account is the number of mobilized reservists. As of April 27, DOD officials reported that more than 170,000 reservists and National Guardsmen were mobilized. Of that number, more than 5,400 were reservists in Air Force Reserve Command.

If the president's budget for fiscal 2005 is enacted, the Air Force Reserve would receive $3.788 billion to train, equip, organize and administer about 76,000 reservists. This request comprises $2.24 billion for operation and maintenance, $1.464 billion for reservisits and $84 million for military construction.

"We won't know what's included in the final authorization and appropriations bills until probably later this summer," Mr. Gracie said. "A lot can happen between now and when the president signs a spending or authorization bill into law." (Courtesy of AFRC News Service)