NCOA’s Relationship With Congress

Capitol Hill Perspective

Mr. Jon Ostrowski Director Legislative Affairs, NCOA February 2019 2019 Legislative Cycle

NCOA FY20 Appropriations Testimony

1st Session, FY20 NDAA 116th Congress / VA Budget Begins

2019 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC SVAC / House Senate HASC SASC NDAA HVAC Floor Floor NDAA Markup Markup Conference Hearings Debate Debate Passage HVAC SVAC NCOA visits to Capitol Congre VA Budget VA Markup Markup Congressional Hill to discuss survey ssional Conference Budget Recess results Recess Passage

House Senate Senate DoD Posture Hearings HAC-D SAC-D Approps Approps Approps Appropriations Markup Markup Passage Floor Debate Floor Debate Conference

New Member Engagement

Posture Hearings HAC-D: 13 March (T) Confirmations NCOA SASC: 26 March Legislative SAC-D: 27 March Survey HASC: 02 April Election 2018 by the Numbers

Senate House • 53 Republicans (+2) • 235 Democrats (+40) • 47* Democrats (-2) • 199 Republicans (-33)

• 9 New Members • 91 New Members 8 Army • 1 New Veteran (Navy) • 18 New Veterans 5 Navy 3 Marines • 19 total Vets • 76 total Vets 2 Air Force

Expect Democrats to continue use Expect increased oversight of GOP of Senate procedure on legislation administration under new and nominations Democratic majority

*2 Independents Caucus with Democrats

 95 total Veterans in 116th Congress  Overall decline of 7% since 115th Congress Congressional Leadership Outlook House Senate

Speaker of the House Majority Leader Minority Leader Senate Majority Leader Senate Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

HASC Leadership HAC Leadership SASC Leadership SAC Leadership

Nita Kay Adam Mac Jim Jack Richard Patrick Lowey Granger Smith Thornberry Inhofe Reed Shelby Leahy (D-NY) (R-TX) (D-WA) (R-TX) (R-OK) (D-RI) (R-AL) (D-VT)

HAC-D Leadership HAC-M Leadership SAC-M Leadership SAC-D Leadership

Peter Ken Debbie John John Brian Richard Dick Visclosky Calvert Wasserman-Schultz Carter Boozman Schatz Shelby Durbin (D-IN) (R-CA) (D-FL) (R-TX) (R-AR) (D-HI) (R-AL) (D-IL) Congressional Objectives

OBJECTIVE 1 Congress supports the FY20 Budget Requests to enable effective and timely implementation of the VA and DoD Vision and Strategy. 2 Congress sustains timely and sufficient funding to maintain the VA and DoD Readiness improvement trajectory. 3 Congress fully funds VA Modernization priorities and supports future efforts.

4 Congress continues to Audit, as the VA and DoD is a fiscally responsible steward of the resources provided. 5 Congress supports VA Reform efforts including medical health system reforms.

6 Supports DoD to improve Quality of Life for service members and their families and sustains the Commander’s essential role in the administration of military justice. 116th Congress Demographics

115th – 116th Demographics Changes: Highlights • 10 new Senators elected (67 Democrats, 44 Republicans) • 101 new House members • Two vacant House seats (NC-9 and NC-3) • One newly appointed SEN, Martha McSally (AZ)

Diversity in the 116th Congress • Record number of African-Americans in Congress (55) • Record number of Hispanics in Congress (44) • Record number of Native Americans in Congress (4)

Women in the 116th Congress • 42 women elected in 2018 • Total number of women in Congress increased to 127 • Senate (25 total: 17 D / 8 R); House (102 total: 89 D / 13 R) • Women comprise 23% of the House and 25% of the Senate

116th House 116th Senate

Veterans in the 116th Congress • 20 new veterans elected to Congress • Decreased by 6 from the 115th Congress • 95 total Veterans in Congress (18%) • 65 R / 30 D • Over half are OEF/OIF Vets