House Passes Stop-Loss Bill

Two weeks ago, we asked for your help in passing a bill to ensure stop-lossed troops would be compensated for their overtime.

You responded in force, and today, we took one big step towards achieving our goal.

IAVA was invited to speak at a press conference held this morning by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. We've been pressuring Speaker Pelosi and the House to pass a measure that would provide retroactive payments to stop-lossed troops, and they listened. Today, they announced that they had passed their version of the bill.

Thanks to you, that's an average of $5,000 in the pockets of over 170,000 American heroes.

Before this bill becomes law, it needs to pass in the Senate and be signed by the President. And we'll watch closely to ensure this remains a top priority until it lands on the President's desk.

Here's where you come in again. Do you know a veteran who was stop-lossed, a friend or family member of a servicemember, or anyone who would want to know when this bill is finally signed by the President?

If so, please take a moment and make sure they're among the first to know when the bill becomes law. They can choose to get the news alert by email, by text message, or both. All you have to do is ask them to sign up.
http://www2.iava.org/o/436/t/8492/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=4903

Please click here to help us get ready to spread the good news.

At today's press conference, we also celebrated a second major victory. Along with back-pay for stop-lossed troops, Congress also passed an IAVA-supported measure that will allow benefits from the new GI Bill to be transferred to the children of servicemembers who died while serving on active-duty after September 11, 2001. This new policy is an important step in showing our nation's respect for Gold Star families and the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Both of these developments were long overdue, and will have an enormous impact on the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families.

Thank you for standing with us.

Paul

this is one step , I hope, towards that. but its time stop loss was over.

That would be even better.

its time stop loss ended. period.

they are never going to give up the ability to keep people on past their contracts or to freeze people in place (moving to new place of duty)

'I believe that we should stop the policy of stop loss. Every troop that I met during my recent visit, even those that have been on four or five deployments, take enormous pride in their work. Morale was extraordinary. They understand that the sacrifices they’re making are on behalf of our nation. Their families, despite being under enormous stress, are willing to bear that burden.

But giving people predictability in their deployments, I think, is absolutely critical. When you have policies that essentially renege on the deal that’s been made, or you signal the people after they’ve been deployed, “You know what? We’re going to stay an extra three months.” Or an extra five months, because of inadequate planning by our civilian leadership.'
from Stars and Stripes August 2008


hes not keeping his word.

However, I too, would rather see it ended entirely.

I really like the part about the GI Bill benefits being transferable to the children of service members who were killed in active duty though.

This thread says it all.