2009/10/27 06:42:00
MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, Jr., USN-Ret. (left) and Col. Bob Norton, USA-Ret., MOAA deputy director for government relations (right) thank Representative Chris VanHollen (D-MD), for sponsoring the MOAA charter bill.
Alexandria, Va. - On October 27, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation granting a federal charter for the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). The Senate passed an identical bill on September 24. It will now be sent to the president, who is expected to sign it into law.
MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, Jr., USN-Ret., said, “This is an historic day in the 80-year history of the Military Officers Association of America. MOAA was founded to support a strong national defense and to protect the earned benefits of those who have worn the uniform of our great country – active duty, National Guard and Reserves, military retirees, survivors, veterans, and their family members.
“On behalf of our chairman, Gen. Butch Neal, USMC-Ret., our board of directors and professional staff, and most especially our 370,000 members, we are deeply grateful for the public recognition that a federal charter provides. On their behalf I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC), and Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Bob Corker (R-TN) for leading a strong bi-partisan effort in the House and Senate on the MOAA federal charter bill.”
The MOAA North Carolina Council first brought the charter issue to the attention of the association’s national leadership. In North Carolina and at least nine other states -- Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania – MOAA council and chapter representatives are barred from participating in state-level veterans’ advisory panels because state laws require a federal charter for participation. Passage of the MOAA federal charter will enable all MOAA councils and chapters to be “at the table” when military and veterans’ issues are under consideration in each state.
In the House, representatives Van Hollen and Jones were joined by 137 cosponsors for the MOAA charter bill (H.R. 2017). Senators Nelson and Corker and 39 cosponsors championed the Senate bill, S. 832. The bill's sponsors sent a congratulatory letter to Vice Adm. Ryan noting the significance of the final passage of the federal charter for MOAA and its members. A copy of the letter may be seen below.
MOAA is the nation’s largest association of active duty, National Guard, Reserve, retired, and former military officers and their families and survivors, and the fourth-largest veterans’ association, with 370,000 members. The association promotes a strong national defense by advocating equitable treatment of those who serve and have served their country in uniform.
