This week in Congress: Last days for the 116th session

Lawmakers will be returning to Capitol Hill today in an attempt to pass legislation before Jan 3rd, when the 117th Congress is scheduled to be seated.

To read more, click here.

Here's when your 2020 military tax statements will be ready

According to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, military tax statements should be available online on myPay by no later than Jan. 25, 2021.

To read more, click here.

Americans face new COVID-19 restrictions after Thanksgiving

After health experts pleaded with Americans to stay home over this Thanksgiving break, almost 1.2 million people passed through US airports Sunday. Health officials are now bracing for a disastrous worsening of the nationwide surge because of holiday gatherings over the long weekend.

To read more, click here.

AFSA on the Hill

Lawmakers Working Towards Avoiding December 11th Government Shutdown

Beginning on last Tuesday, leading members of the House and Senate appropriations committees agreed on an overarching framework for an omnibus spending package that would avoid a "partial government shutdown" which would begin on December 11.

According to an article posted by Roll Call, the agreement resolved a "partisan impasse" over how to allocate approximately $1.4 trillion in discretionary spending for FY2021. While details of the actual compromise are currently confidential, our legislative team will go through the legislation thoroughly to ensure that funding for the various departments and agencies that support our members is sufficient to maintain and improve upon quality of life benefits encompassed within the scope of our Legislative Platform.

According to our sources, friction arose due from a continued objection to exempting $12.5 billion in veterans health care money from the budget caps. This money would support the MISSION Act's mission to give veterans access to private medical care outside the VA system when wait times re too long or veterans live too far away from VA facilities.

Details of how the veterans cap exemption would be treated in the final compromise is not immediately clear; however, according to the article, sources have said "they expect an emergency classification to remain given both House Democrats and Senate Republicans previously agreed."

It is important to note that in the past, the White House has registered objections to such an emergency adjustment - however, it is expected that the veterans exemption would not rise to "deal-breaker status" for administration officials.

Of particular interest to our legislative mission is the annual defense authorization package, referred to as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Just yesterday, it was reported that NDAA conferees were very close to reaching a final deal and were hopeful a final compromise would be sent to the President's desk for signature by either tomorrow or Thursday.

Once the final version of the FY2021 NDAA is made public, our team will thoroughly analyze its provisions and provide an in-depth summary for your viewing pleasure as soon as possible. And, as more details are made available, our team will keep you informed.

If you have any questions about the contents of the FY2021 NDAA, or any of the other Congressional appropriations packages currently in deliberation, please e-mail our legislative team at milgov3@hqafsa.org.

AFSA's Policy Advisor to Meet With Biden-Harris Veterans Affairs Transition Team

Later today, AFSA's Policy Advisor, Matthew Schwartzman, will be attending a virtual roundtable with leading officials of the Biden-Harris Veterans Affairs Transition Team to discuss the current state of affairs on Veterans Health Care and the operations of the Department of the Veterans Affairs (VA).

"We are very much looking forward to establish a positive working relationship with the incoming Biden-Harris administration and with the leading officials of the Biden-Harris Transition Team," said AFSA's Policy Advisor, Matthew Schwartzman.

"There a many areas of mutual interest shared between the incoming Administration and the Air Force Sergeants Association," Schwartzman continued. "...including ending the national tragedy of veterans suicide through a holistic mental health-care approach, reducing case-backlog and wait-times by promoting care quality and accessibility in the VA, and modernizing the technological infrastructure of the VA to better meet the medical needs of our nation's veterans - among many others of course."

This meeting will be the first official mode of correspondence between our Legislative Team and the incoming Biden-Harris administration. We are looking forward to building upon the many successes of the current administration while simultaneously forging a new pathway forward on many other issues with the incoming administration as well.

If there are any major developments that come from this meeting, our team will keep you informed.

IMPORTANT TO REITERATE: AFSA's 2021-2022 Legislative Platform Survey is LIVE!

Every year, AFSA's legislative team provides members with an opportunity to have their voice be heard and play a significant role in selecting the leading advocacy priorities for the AFSA Headquarters team during the upcoming year.

Last week, our team was proud to announce that the 2021-2022 AFSA Legislative Platform Survey is LIVE on our Legislative Action Center. If you do not feel comfortable answering any of the questions posed OR is a question is not applicable to your current situation or status, feel free to skip that particular question / section and move on to the next.

To visit the Action Center and take the 2021-2022 Survey, please click here.

Please read each question carefully and respond honestly. And, as always, if you have any questions, please reach out to AFSA's military and government team at milgov3@hqafsa.org.

Important to Reiterate: TRICARE Open Season Begins!

TRICARE Open Season is the annual period when you can enroll in or change your health care coverage for the next year. This year, TRICARE Open Season began yesterday, Nov. 9, and will end on Dec. 14.

Any enrollment changes you make will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021. Open season applies to anyone enrolled in or eligible for a TRICARE Prime option or TRICARE Select.

If you're eligible to participate in TRICARE Open Season, you have three options:

Stay in your plan. If you want to stay in your current TRICARE health plan, you don't have to re-enroll. You'll continue in your current health plan through 2021 or as long as you're eligible.
Enroll in a plan. If you're eligible for a TRICARE Prime option or TRICARE Select but not enrolled, you can enroll in a plan now
Change plans. If you're already enrolled in a TRICARE Prime option or TRICARE Select, you can switch plans and switch between individual and family enrollment.

Q: What happens if I don't take any action?

If you aren't already in a plan and don't enroll in a plan during open season, you'll only be eligible for care at a military hospital or clinic if space is available.

Q: Can I make an enrollment change outside of open season?

Outside of TRICARE Open Season, you can enroll in or change enrollment to TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select following a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).

A QLE is a certain change in your life, such as marriage, birth of a child, or retirement from active duty, which may mean different TRICARE health plans are available to you and your family members. A TRICARE QLE opens a 90-day period for you to make eligible enrollment changes. A QLE for one family member creates a chance for all eligible family members to make enrollment changes.

To learn more, visit www.tricare.mil/lifeevents.

Outside of the Federal Benefits Open Season, you can only enroll in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) or make changes to your existing FEDVIP plan if you experience a FEDVIP QLE. Remember, FEDVIP QLEs may be different from the TRICARE QLEs. To learn more, visit www.benefeds.com.

Q: Where can I access TRICARE enrollment forms?

To download an enrollment form, right-click and select to "save-as" or download direct from the WHS Forms Page. For enrollment, use your region-specific DD-3043 form.

For more information, please click here.

	Legislative Action Center

	Our Legislative Action Center is currently going through modifications as our team is preparing for the conclusion of the 116th Congress and the beginning of the 117th. Once changes have been made, our legislative team will keep you informed on how you can effectively participate in the legislative process and write your elected officials in support of AFSA's top legislative priorities.

AFSA Membership Information

AFSA FALL MAGAZINE RELEASED

Have you read the latest edition of the AFSA Magazine?

Featuring Wreaths Across America, K-12 Military Family Education, AFSAvPAC2020 Overview, Project Healing Waters, and more!

https://www.hqafsa.org/fallmagazine2020.html

AFSA Partners With Wreaths Across America!

AFSA | Visit our Wreaths Across America page to purchase wreaths and support Wreaths Across America! Comment below with your cemetery of choice so we can add it to our page listings!

Visit: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/afsa to Sponsor a wreath at $15.00, schedule your volunteer opportunity, and add the cemetery located in your area.

#AFSAWreathsAcrossAmerica

Greetings AFSA Division and Chapter Leadership,

We are pleased to share the AFSA Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay procedures and marketing materials to help share the process with our members, your membership and potential new recruits. The Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay program creates an opportunity to JOIN AFSA or RENEW a membership by making a $36 once-a-year/every-year auto payment, or a $4-each-month/every- month auto payment. The $36 once-a-year option is set at $36, and the $4-a-month option includes a bank processing fee of $1 each month.

Review the two ways to enroll, the benefits to using the auto-pay option, and the marketing materials to help share the details of this program and ensure its success.

For more information, please click here.

For questions, please contact AFSAHQ Member & Field team at 800-638-0594 x 288.

	And that's the way it is...

	In sum, our Legislative Team is watching the election results very carefully to begin our strategic planning for the 117th Congress. While the 116th Congress hasn't official concluded just yet, with a lame duck Congressional session looming on the horizon, it remains uncertain what other accomplishments will be gained by the conclusion of the 116th Congress. However, our team remains laser-focused and is looking to build on the momentum that has been gained on several issues from the 2020 vLAW. And that's the way it is for Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guard and reservists, and military family members. Stay happy, and stay healthy!