Issues
DOD Health: Actions Needed to Ensure Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury Are Considered in Misconduct Separations
GAO found that 18 of the 48 nongeneralizable sample separation packets reviewed for Marine Corps servicemembers administratively separated for misconduct lacked documentation showing that the servicemember had been screened for PTSD and TBI. During interviews with Army officers, GAO found that some officers may not have received training to identify mild TBI symptoms, despite Army policy that all servicemembers should be trained. Further, GAO found instances in which both Army and Marine Corps may not have adhered to their counseling policies, which require that servicemembers, specifically prior to requesting separation in lieu of trial by court-martial, be counseled about their potential ineligibility for VA benefits and services. more »
Ten Ways That the House American Health Care Act Could Affect Women
On May 4, 2017, the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), to repeal and replace elements of the ACA (Appendix Table 1). It would eliminate individual and employer insurance mandates, effectively end the ACA Medicaid expansion, cap federal funds for the Medicaid program, make major changes to the federal tax subsidies available to assist individuals who purchase private insurance, and ban federal Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood. It would also allow states to waive the ACA’s Essential Health Benefits requirements and permit health status as a factor in insurance rating for individuals who do not maintain continuous coverage with the goal of reducing insurance costs. more »
Congressional Bills Introduced, Resolutions and Investigations: Did You Know that May 5 Was the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls?
Among other issues: Homicide is a leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women and that little data exist on the number of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women in the United States; The TARGET Act would authorize the State Department’s rewards program to target transnational organized crime rings that engage in severe forms of human trafficking; Iincreasing efforts to prevent girls in the foster care system from becoming victims of sex trafficking; Overview of the Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies. more »
Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Crime and Terrorism: Sally Yates and James Clapper, Testifying
" 'We're not the Department of Prosecutions or even the Department of Public Safety,' " Yates said in May 2015, the week after she was confirmed as deputy attorney general, the second-highest-ranking position in the Justice Department. 'We are the Department of Justice.' In a news release, the White House said Yates had 'betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States.' more »
