Do you think RallyPoint discussions can help civilians in Congress when it comes to legislation that affects our military branches?

SGT(P) Fabian Ysker - Actually, having been a federal employee, it is worse than dragging their feet in relation to the common man. The employees are not on the radar in those discussions. They are, at best, a line item to be addressed as part of the repairs.

Can't hurt if they read and understand the messages.

I was started on the CHOICE PROGRAM, to receive treatment by a Chiropractor, and my PCP, at the VA, authorized me to be treated by a Civilian Chiropractor, for 3, months at a time. The Chiropractor's office had to verify the authorization for the next 3, months, and as I called to verify the authorization my file was be viewed at the same time causing a delay.

Even if they read what is said here, they will not understand. There is just not enough veterans involved in the legislative process in Washington. Even our President did not serve and there is plenty of argument as to why he didn't join or was drafted. The total mentality is just not there. There is no doubt that they politicized the issues. They want votes. The easy thing to say is "Thank you for your service", that gets them off the hook. We have to keep pushing the issues up there in Washington. Stay strong. "For those that fought for it, freedom has a certain flavor the sheltered shall never know"
CMC(SCW) Robert Turner
U.S. Navy (Ret.)

This is a wonderful Idea. However, we need to dialog with our representatives with both eyes wide open.

The following is based on my reading hundreds of responses to great question on RallyPoint and the many concerns of Veterans. Unless our representatives are a Veteran themselves I’m not sure they can identify with certain issues. I suspect the “why” has a lot to do with the individual reasons they have chosen to represent the people’s concerns.

What we can do is let them know we understand the many processes and back-scratching that goes on in the “Loop” and within our own state legislatures. Our elected officials are held hostage to a system that more often then not does NOT serve the people of this great nation.

What RallyPoint members can do in 2019 is welcome Freshman Congressman and Woman, to the 2019 Congress. However, we should let them know we understand the pecking order in congress, and inform them before their first day in office is over they will find out the most important item on their calendar will be fundraising, and the most important date on our calendar will be March 31st; only 90 days away. This is the filing date for their first fundraising report with the Federal Election Commission as a sitting member of Congress.

We should also inform them we are fully aware that unfortunately, March 31 gets in the way of their campaign promises to fix Washington, because they will also be very busy helping other senior members of congress with their fundraising, and that effort starts immediately. This will be priority one.

Senior party’s leadership will inform them how to be a good new members of congress. And if they get it, they will be laser-focused on March 31. This takes precedence over what their constituents expect of them. If they want to know what a good member does, just stand outside the Cannon House Office Building and watch where others members of congress walk every afternoon: down the Hill to the restaurants and law offices for private meetings focused on fundraising.

There’s never a break from fundraising. It’s their opportunity to flex their new political muscles, to show that they’ve used important committee assignments to get political cash from the relevant companies, and to prove that they’re not afraid to travel to New York and California and Chicago and ask billionaires to cut them substantial campaign checks.

If all this seems like a fairy tail nightmare, then maybe their first act should be to write a law that institutes a mandatory “time-out” from fundraising and a “cooling-off period” where members can’t raise money, but are required to spend time legislating. I’m reasonably sure their senior leadership will quietly inform them that this is inappropriate legislation that will not fly. They will also find that many of their colleagues, who are sick of raising money themselves will approve. However, they will be in the minority.

If you doubt any of the above, there is plenty of reading material out there that helps us understand the truth of exactly what goes on in “The Loop”. One such book was written in 2005 by former Governor and Congressman Zell Miller titled: A Deficit of Decency. A simple search on your favorite search engine will get you too confirming books and articles.

There is always resistance from congressman to do the right thing. Thats because Washington DC politics is “The Swamp”. So, if that hasn’t hit home and become clearly evident since the election of Donald Trump in 2016, the above information is meaningless.

Now that we know the legislative priorities in congress, maybe we can be more effective in our petitioning our representative with our concerns.

I concur that we yet have awareness of the “swamp” and its operations PO2 Gerry Tandberg.

That gets to the heart of my snarky, but appropriate response! It matters not if our leadership (mil experience d or not) is listening to our discussions as they will not act without some other impetus to do so. If it is their own motivation, then they likely re one of us and at least understand the basic issue.

Otherwise we as a community need to work with them and an understanding of your description is critical.

However, I am certain that there is more attention in Congress on their own concerns (for the most part); the paramount of which is retention of power.

All campaign promises are seldom kept by new presidents in office, especially one who
has never held public office. As head of Trump "everything with his name on it" he
answeres to NO ONE (except perhaps stockholders and not if he holds a majority of shares). Once in office he learned that being president was a lot different. He had to
learn on his own. He ran his Cabinet the way he ran his Corporations. Ruthlessly. He
used trial and error to get the right people. Further he owes nothing to anyone EXCEPT THE VOTERS WHO PUT HIM IN OFFICE. Former President Obama did some wonderful things for the Liberal Establishment and Liberals in general. But he knew nothing about the military except that it got a big chunk of tax dollars. Freedom and security of the U.S. ain't free. He took an axe, I believe, more STAR RANKS than any other president in history. He put the fear of God in all the Flag ranks. Some "House Cleaning" may have been necessary, BUT the price was those left did his bidding without question. This, in and of itself was bad for the military and the nation. Some of off his policies were FUBARS. Former President Lyndon Baines Johnson along with his Sec. Of Defense Robert STRABGE Mac Namarra ran the military as they saw fit, answering to no one (he had the
War Powers Act that gave him Carte Blanche). He listened to no one, not the NSA, CIA,
his Military Advisors, the Sec of State and he refused to listen to anything The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs and The Joint Chiefs of Staff whom he talked down to and treated like
sh-t. A large part of this was due to blocking the Joint Chiefs. They would have
recommended using Air and Naval Power to convince N. Vietnam to get their peoples asses out of S. Vietnam instead of committing US Ground Forces. LBG and RSMCN did the opposite by committing troops which by 1968 totaled close to 600,000 men.
LBJ and his Maceavelli micro managed the war. The rest is history. Trump may be a
"different breed of cat" but he is smarter than those before him.

What is the answer? Where does one START EFFECTIVELY then?
All this bitching & moaning... yet do we have good PROBLEM SOLVERS IN THE RANKS OF RALLYPOINT to START a MEANINGFUL MOVEMENT in Congress?
Come on Vets!
Those of US with EXPERIENCE SHOULD volunteer and STAND UP.
It must start with US.
Who will STAND, THAT HAS IDEAS?

Exactly the problem ! They have been PAID-OFF like the rest !!!