By MOAA Staff

MOAA’s ongoing work on Capitol Hill on behalf of its 360,000-plus members and the wider uniformed services community received recognition Dec. 5 from The Hill, a leading Beltway news outlet, which again included the association on its list of Top Lobbyists.

It’s the 18th consecutive inclusion on the list for MOAA, which was honored alongside the American Cancer Society, AARP, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the list’s Grassroots section – a move that showcases the association’s nationwide reach and the ongoing dedication of its membership, MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), said.

“While our staff works tirelessly in Washington to make a difference, this award doesn’t happen without the thousands of active MOAA members who keep our priorities at the top of their legislator’s to-do lists,” Kelly said. “Whether it’s through their local chapter, a virtual chapter, our Legislative Action Center, or all three, your voice makes a real difference on behalf of those who serve and have served, their families, and their survivors.”

 MOAA’s advocacy work is far from over for the year, as legislators move forward on the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), comprehensive benefit reforms for veterans and caregivers, and other key priorities as the 118th Congress comes to a close. Some other top priorities for 2024 advocacy included: 

• Veterans Health Care and Benefits: In September, MOAA and Disabled American Veterans (DAV) published Ending the Wait for Toxic-Exposed Veterans – a report offering a blueprint for the VA to reform its delay-plagued toxic exposure process. These upgrades would add to the generational progress made possible by the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, signed into law in 2022. 
   
• DoD Health Care/TRICARE: MOAA remained at the forefront of TRICARE reform efforts in 2024, using its leadership position in The Military Coalition (TMC) to push for updates to Alzheimer’s treatment coverage, reverse reimbursement cuts to children’s hospitals, and ease the transition for beneficiaries in the upcoming T-5 contract changeover. 
   
• Currently Serving Members and Families: MOAA has worked with the House Armed Services Committee’s Quality of Life Panel since its 2023 inception, resulting in the inclusion of many reforms (and improved compensation) as part of the NDAA. 
  

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Support for these efforts came via testimony before committee members; hosting roundtable discussions and information sessions for Capitol Hill staffers and fellow advocates; and partnering with fellow advocacy groups in their work on behalf of shared priorities, such as the The Military Coalition’s Richard Star Act Hill Day.

MOAA brought more than 150 members from across the nation to Capitol Hill in April as part of our annual Advocacy in Action (AiA) event, where groups met with lawmakers and staffers to discuss a range of MOAA priorities. Tens of thousands of letters on AiA topics reached these offices via our Legislative Action Center in connection with the event; more than 129,000 letters from more than 26,000 registered advocates have been sent through the platform this year.

“We are thankful for this honor from The Hill, which shows the powerful voice of MOAA and its members,” said Maj. Gen. April Vogel, USAF (Ret), MOAA’s vice president of Government Relations. “Advocacy is all about momentum, and we want to carry our momentum forward into the NDAA process and the rest of our year-end priorities, then begin our work with the new Congress on behalf of the wider uniformed services community to protect earned benefits and preserve the all-volunteer force.” 

See the full top lobbyist list at this link.