By MOAA Staff

MOAA’s ongoing work to hold the line on service-earned benefits has resulted in a 19th-straight appearance on the annual Top Lobbyist list published Dec. 11 by The Hill, a leading Washington, D.C., news outlet.

MOAA’s recognition comes in the Grassroots category, alongside, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the Boys & Girls Club of America, and other awardees.

“We are deeply appreciative of this honor from The Hill, as it shows the influence MOAA continues to have on Capitol Hill on behalf of all who serve and have served, their families, and their survivors,” said MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret). “Whether you’ve joined us in D.C. as part of our Advocacy in Action campaign, sent messages to your lawmaker through our Legislative Action Center, or spread our message online or through your MOAA council or chapter, your work has been vital to our advocacy success.”

[SEE THE LIST: Top Lobbyists 2025]

Advocacy Timeline

Caregiver, Veteran Support: Less than 48 hours into the new year, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act became law, bringing much-needed relief to veterans and families by boosting caregiver benefits and improving VA long-term care options. MOAA and more than 40 other veterans organizations supported the omnibus bipartisan bill, which combined more than 90 pieces of legislation ranging from expanded mental health care programs to enhanced education benefits to home loan and burial benefit improvements.

Targeted Pay Raise: The 10% pay increase for some junior enlisted servicemembers, on top of the servicewide 4.5% raise, took effect in April, a key part of MOAA’s work on quality of life improvements. The raise helps address financial difficulties faced by many young servicemembers and their families, building readiness by boosting retention throughout the all-volunteer force.

Advocacy in Action: Also in April, more than 150 MOAA advocates visited hundreds of lawmakers’ offices during our signature spring advocacy event, focusing on top-priority items like military spouse employment, housing benefits, toxic exposure reforms, and improvements to veteran caregiver support and access to the Military Health System .

[READ THE LATEST: MOAA’s Advocacy News]

Student-Veteran Protections: The budget reconciliation “megabill” signed by the president July 4 preserved the “90-10 rule,” which limits for-profit educational institutions to receiving 90% of their funds from federal sources. The rule protects student-veterans from predatory practices; without the rule, schools frequently targeted GI Bill benefits as a way to boost their bottom line. The House version of the megabill would have spiked the rule in favor of an untested enforcement system, but MOAA and fellow advocates joined forces to preserve the protection.

TRICARE Coverage Parity: TRICARE recently added coverage of a first-of-its-kind at-home injection treating early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The Leqembi Iqlik (pronounced “I-Click”) was added to the TRICARE formulary after the Food and Drug Administration approved the at-home maintenance dosing – an extension of the five-year, MOAA-backed pilot program to cover certain monoclonal antibodies. Support for the initial coverage change came as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure coverage parity with benchmark plans.

[RELATED: MOAA’s TRICARE Guide]

More Work to Do

The top-lobbyist honor comes as MOAA concludes its work in the first session of Congress and lays out the groundwork to launch the new year’s strategy, ensuring momentum and sustained advocacy through 2026.

From efforts to secure key language in the final draft of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to maintaining momentum on the bipartisan- and bicameral-supported Major Richard Star Act, to building protections for servicemembers, veterans, and survivors in the event of another government shutdown, that work is far from over.

[RELATED: What’s In the FY 2026 NDAA ... and What’s Next]

“Recognition is important, but it’s the powerful voice of our more than 350,000 members that truly sets us apart as we hold the line in Washington,” said Maj. Gen. April Vogel, USAF (Ret), MOAA’s vice president of Government Relations. “Be sure to make your voice heard through our Legislative Action Center – your engagement helps MOAA make a difference.”