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United States Army Reserve

United States Army Reserve. Engaging Congress: A Staff Overview. Engaging Congress: A Winning Strategy. The Congressional Family, Congressional Offices, and Committees. Each Member of Congress, whether a Representative or a Senator, occupies at least two formal roles:

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United States Army Reserve

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  1. United States Army Reserve Engaging Congress: A Staff Overview

  2. Engaging Congress: A Winning Strategy The Congressional Family, Congressional Offices, and Committees • Each Member of Congress, whether a Representative or a Senator, occupies at least two formal roles: • Representative of citizens “The Personal Office” • Member of one or more committees and subcommittees • And possibly other roles, in caucuses and other entities • Guard and Reserve Caucuses • National Republican Congressional Committee • Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Success on Capitol Hill is built on relationships.

  3. Engaging Congress: A Winning Strategy What are Committees? • Committees draft legislation • Two types of committees: Authorizing and Appropriation • House and Senate Budget Committees pass resolutions setting levels for spending, revenue, and debt for major categories (such as defense). • Authorizing committees draft legislation that defines programs and recommends funding levels. • Appropriations committees draft bills to provide funding for authorized programs. • The House and Senate must pass identical resolutions, authorization bills and appropriations bills, often using a conference committee to work out differences. • The majority party supplies a committee chairman and a majority of committee members; the minority party supplies the ranking member and a minority of committee members. Legislators and staff must understand the Army Reserve, its issues, and its needs.

  4. Engaging Congress: A Winning Strategy Authorizers: House and Senate Armed Services Committees (HASC & SASC) • Authorizes funding for all DOD programs, including the • Army Reserve • Without an authorization, programs cannot be funded • Establishes Army Reserve end strength • Establishes laws governing the Army Reserve. • Personnel matters, including recruiting/retention, pay bonuses, quality of life, TRICARE, ROPMA, etc. • Equipment, modernization and maintenance • Authorizes major DOD initiatives • BRAC, Quadrennial Defense Review Support from the Armed Services Committees is Critical to the Army Reserve !

  5. Engaging Congress: A Winning Strategy Appropriators: House and Senate Appropriations Committees (HAC & SAC) • Two key appropriations subcommittees: • Defense and Military Construction (MILCON) • Defense Subcommittee (HAC-D and SAC-D) • Appropriates funding for all Army Reserve programs, including pay and benefits, training, schools, equipment, maintenance, travel, etc. • Will add or subtract from President’s budget based on input from a variety of sources, including the Army Reserve • Supplemental funding for wartime costs • Military Construction (HAC-M and SAC-M) Subcommittee • Funding for construction of Reserve Centers, BRAC accounts Nothing happens in the Army Reserve without a Congressional appropriation!

  6. Engaging Congress: A Winning Strategy Hearing season is here! Jan-Apr key events on near horizon •  = Authorization committee  = Appropriations committee • OSD new member orientation • SASC posture statement hearing • SAC-D hearings • HASC posture statement hearing • HASC Personnel Subcommittee hearing • HAC-D (approps) readiness hearings • HAC-D MILCON/VA Quality of Life hearing • House & Senate Army Caucus meetings • AUSA ILW breakfasts These are the events which generate taskers. We typically encounter three types of taskers: Prep questions for witnesses, “due outs” as a consequence of hearings, and committee staff requests for information The Army Reserve must rely on itself first !

  7. Engaging Congress: A Winning Strategy What is the Army Reserve’s role during the hearing season? • CAR preps SEC Army & CSA for their testimony on Capitol Hill. • CAR testifies in his role as a Reserve Component Chief. • CAR testifies on the Army Reserve Posture. • Key Army Reserve leaders engage committee members and • staff directly on select issues of concern to the Army Reserve. • Army Reserve Staff (SMEs) provide information to committee • staff, helping them make proper authorizing/funding decisions. • Ambassadors/Commanders/Outreach engage Congressional • members in their home states/districts. • BUILD RELATIONSHIPS ! The Army Reserve must rely on itself first.

  8. Engaging Congress: A Winning Strategy Key Committee Leadership Sen. Carl Levin (MI) Sen. John McCain (AZ) Rep. Ike Skelton (MO-4) Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA-52) Chair, SASC Ranking, SASC Chair, HASC Ranking, HASC Sen. Daniel Inouye (HI) Sen. Ted Stevens (AK) Rep. John Murtha (PA-12) Rep. C.W. Bill Young (FL-10) Chair, SAC-D Ranking, SAC-D Chair, HAC-D Ranking, HAC-D Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA) Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX) Rep. Chet Edwards (TX-17) Rep. Roger Wicker (MS-1) Chair, SAC Ranking, SAC Chair, HAC Ranking, HAC MILCON MILCON MILCON MILCON Sen. Daniel Akaka (HI) Sen. James Inhofe (OK) Rep. Chet Edwards (TX-17) Rep. John McHugh (NY-23) Co-Chair, Sen. Army Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Army Caucus Co-Chair, House Army Caucus Co-Chair, House Army Caucus

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