FORT WORTH, Texas — Some members of Congress think it’s time to cut off the cash to Army Maj. Nidal Hasan.
On the eve of opening statements in the court-martial of Hasan, the defendant in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage, lawmakers have proposed suspending military pay for service men and women charged with certain crimes.
They say they are frustrated that Hasan, the Army psychiatrist charged with multiple counts of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder in one of the worst mass shootings on a military base, has received paychecks totaling nearly $300,000 while locked up.
“It is outrageous that taxpayers continue to pay an accused terrorist that killed more than a dozen people,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas. “Does anyone think this make sense? You are innocent until proven guilty in this country, but that doesn’t mean you should be rewarded while awaiting trial.”
The Stop Pay for Violent Offenders Act has been filed in the U.S. House — to let the military suspend pay for those arrested and charged with rape, sexual assault or a capital offense — by Reps. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., Tom Rooney, R-Fla., and Frank Wolf, R-Va.
“The fact that the sole suspect in this attack, Nidal Hasan, a major in the U.S. Army, has continued to draw his Army salary — costing taxpayers more than $278,000 — is outrageous,” Griffin said.
Current law lets the military stop paying civilian employees, but officials say they can’t stop paying military members on active service, such as Hasan, unless they are convicted.
“This bill would correct a huge oversight that has allowed military personnel charged with a serious crime to continue to receive their pay while awaiting trial,” Wolf said. “Does anybody really think it’s right that Nidal Hasan has collected more than $200,000 in taxpayer dollars since being charged in the Fort Hood shootings?”
The House voted [last] Tuesday to prevent anyone convicted of a sex crime from enlisting in the military, this time by using the power of the purse.
The Defense Department already moved in March to prohibit anyone convicted of rape, sexual abuse, sexual assault or incest from entering the military, but Marine Corps veteran Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., convinced the House to go one step further during debate on the $512.4 billion defense appropriations bill for fiscal 2014. Kline’s amendment, passed by voice vote, prohibits any military funds from being spent to waive the restrictions to allow any exceptions to the policy.
House and Senate versions of separate 2014 defense authorization bill, which includes policy matters, contain provisions that would put current Pentagon policy barring enlistment of anyone convicted of sexual crimes into law. Whether any waivers would be possible depends on the legislative language that is signed into law.
“This is a serious issue,” said Kline, whose wife, Vicky, is a retired Army nurse and whose son served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. “The number of sexual assault victims in the military is unacceptable and I remain committed to preventing potential predators from joining our ranks.”
Before passage of Kline’s amendment, the funding bill already included provisions aimed at improving sexual assault prevention programs. In the report accounting the bill, the House Appropriations Committee says it is “outraged by the pervasive problem of sexual assault in the Armed Forces. Sexual assault is not just an issue in the military; it is an epidemic.”
The committee called for a “culture change at every level of the military, from the most senior leadership to the most junior ranks,” to attack the problem.
While the Obama administration has been at odds with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives on appropriations bills, a July 22 statement of administration policy on the defense funding bill says it “appreciates the support of the committee in working to eliminate the threat that sexual assault in the military presents to our service members and our national security.”
As the military begins to embrace gays and lesbians, one group feels left out: transgender troops.
These men and women weren’t even a blip on the nation’s radar until former Navy SEAL Team 6 member Chris Beck revealed in a memoir released last month that he had become Kristin Beck, a woman. It’s unknown how many transgender troops are serving in the U.S. military, largely because they’d get kicked out for coming out. About 700,000 Americans in a population of more than 300 million are transsexuals, according to a 2011 study by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
Another milestone in June: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel seemed to sanction their service when he addressed a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride (LGBT) event at the Pentagon. But there was a catch: civilians can switch sexes and keep their defense jobs. Troops can’t. Unlike allies Great Britain, Israel and Canada, the U.S. military disqualifies transgender troops for health reasons.
“I was at the Pentagon when Secretary Hagel was saying we’re here to celebrate LGBT service,” says an Army sergeant who is becoming a man. The sergeant spoke on condition of anonymity to stay in the service.
“I’m kind of looking around for the rest of Ts,” the soldier says, referring to transgender troops. Other troops could celebrate marriage equality, the sergeant says, but not the transsexuals.
Transgender pride extends to Defense Department civilian employees such as Amanda Simpson, a senior Army official who was a man. Simpson, named to her post by President Obama, is the highest-ranking openly transgender official. She declined to comment for this story.
That pride stops with troops transitioning to the opposite sex.
For now, the Pentagon has no plans to cross that line, says Navy Lt. Cdr. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman. They’re medically disqualified, according to Pentagon regulations. Army regulations, for instance, prohibit transvestism.
Advocates for transgender people say the prohibition has no merit.
“We shouldn’t single out transgender individuals,” says Anne Speckhard, a psychologist who co-wrote Warrior Princess with Beck.
The Stop Pay for Violent Offenders Act has been filed in the U.S. House — to let the military suspend pay for those arrested and charged with rape, sexual assault or a capital offense — by Reps. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., Tom Rooney, R-Fla., and Frank Wolf, R-Va.
Quote by Raine:
Good Morning.You don't think tthe name of the Fort Hood Shooter being Nidal Hasan has anything to do with it, do you?The Stop Pay for Violent Offenders Act has been filed in the U.S. House — to let the military suspend pay for those arrested and charged with rape, sexual assault or a capital offense — by Reps. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., Tom Rooney, R-Fla., and Frank Wolf, R-Va.
Yes, I'm jaded that way.
Quote by Raine:
Good Morning.You don't think tthe name of the Fort Hood Shooter being Nidal Hasan has anything to do with it, do you?The Stop Pay for Violent Offenders Act has been filed in the U.S. House — to let the military suspend pay for those arrested and charged with rape, sexual assault or a capital offense — by Reps. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., Tom Rooney, R-Fla., and Frank Wolf, R-Va.
Yes, I'm jaded that way.
Quote by Mondobubba:
Speaking of teabaggers, there were 3 or 4 of them waving their hand lettered signs on the Old St. Augustine Rd overpass at I95 this morning. I'm not sure why they picked such a lame location. I didn't slow down enough to spell check their signs either.
Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
Speaking of teabaggers, there were 3 or 4 of them waving their hand lettered signs on the Old St. Augustine Rd overpass at I95 this morning. I'm not sure why they picked such a lame location. I didn't slow down enough to spell check their signs either.
What were they protesting/promoting?
Along with the Post and Express, Bezos will be taking control of The Gazette Newspapers, Southern Maryland Newspapers, Fairfax County Times, El Tiempo Latino and Greater Washington Publishing, according to the Associated Press.
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
Speaking of teabaggers, there were 3 or 4 of them waving their hand lettered signs on the Old St. Augustine Rd overpass at I95 this morning. I'm not sure why they picked such a lame location. I didn't slow down enough to spell check their signs either.
What were they protesting/promoting?
"Wake Up America!" and "Impeach Obama!" the usual stupid shit. Had I engaged them I'm sure I would have been subjected to "BENGHAZI!" I don't know why they picked such a lame location.
Quote by Raine:
This is interesting:Along with the Post and Express, Bezos will be taking control of The Gazette Newspapers, Southern Maryland Newspapers, Fairfax County Times, El Tiempo Latino and Greater Washington Publishing, according to the Associated Press.
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
Speaking of teabaggers, there were 3 or 4 of them waving their hand lettered signs on the Old St. Augustine Rd overpass at I95 this morning. I'm not sure why they picked such a lame location. I didn't slow down enough to spell check their signs either.
What were they protesting/promoting?
"Wake Up America!" and "Impeach Obama!" the usual stupid shit. Had I engaged them I'm sure I would have been subjected to "BENGHAZI!" I don't know why they picked such a lame location.
That reminds me, when we went up to WV someone had set up a table along the side of the road by our hotel to get people to sign his "Impeach Obama" petition. My reaction ->
Quote by BobR:
The new "The Butler" movie coming out (about the guy who was a butler to presidents for decades) has various actors playing the presidents he served.
Guess who is playing Nancy Reagan?
wait for it...
Jane Fonda! I can hear Freepers' heads exploding already
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
Speaking of teabaggers, there were 3 or 4 of them waving their hand lettered signs on the Old St. Augustine Rd overpass at I95 this morning. I'm not sure why they picked such a lame location. I didn't slow down enough to spell check their signs either.
What were they protesting/promoting?
"Wake Up America!" and "Impeach Obama!" the usual stupid shit. Had I engaged them I'm sure I would have been subjected to "BENGHAZI!" I don't know why they picked such a lame location.
That reminds me, when we went up to WV someone had set up a table along the side of the road by our hotel to get people to sign his "Impeach Obama" petition. My reaction ->
The randomness of the protest and the location are making me
Quote by Mondobubba:
By the way, A-Rod is a massive dick. That's all.
Quote by clintster:
OK, here we go. I'm about to head to Columbia SC to interview for a teaching job at a middle school. I've already dipped into my old school retirement account to keep my bills paid, and if this doesn't pan out I may have to withdraw the rest of it. Candles, prayers, good thoughts please.
Quote by clintster:
OK, here we go. I'm about to head to Columbia SC to interview for a teaching job at a middle school. I've already dipped into my old school retirement account to keep my bills paid, and if this doesn't pan out I may have to withdraw the rest of it. Candles, prayers, good thoughts please.
Quote by clintster:
OK, here we go. I'm about to head to Columbia SC to interview for a teaching job at a middle school. I've already dipped into my old school retirement account to keep my bills paid, and if this doesn't pan out I may have to withdraw the rest of it. Candles, prayers, good thoughts please.
Quote by Raine:OK.Quote by Mondobubba:
By the way, A-Rod is a massive dick. That's all.
Quote by wickedpam:
Raine are you in my brain?
Quote by wickedpam:
Raine are you in my brain?
Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:
Raine are you in my brain?
Not intentionally!
Quote by Raine:
I swear -- everyone of of these Zimmerman callers are using that jury decision to justify their own racism.
Quote by Raine:
So, Rabbit and Tri (if you are lurking about) what do you make of the sale of the Boston Globe?
Quote by TriSec:Quote by Raine:
So, Rabbit and Tri (if you are lurking about) what do you make of the sale of the Boston Globe?
Hunh? The Globe is still in business?
Quote by Scoopster:
Afternoon all.. another busy day here at the farm!
Another BRILLIANT idea from the brain trust at GOP HQ..
Quote by Raine:Brilliant -- promoting violence on women.Quote by Scoopster:
Afternoon all.. another busy day here at the farm!
Another BRILLIANT idea from the brain trust at GOP HQ..
Linda cheated on me. It happened the night before we were planning to go away for the weekend. In the morning I called her place, but there was no answer. I called again — and then again and again. Worried, I rushed over to her apartment and finding an open window, I climbed in. No one was home. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was my roommate, Neil, who knew where I had gone. Linda had just called, he told me knowingly. She said she had overslept. She said she was at home.
All this happened a long time ago, but it sticks with me — not on account of the betrayal, although that was bad enough, but on account of my reaction to it. I listened to her confession, a tearful, air-gulping account of confusion and weakness, punctuated by pledges of unwavering fidelity — and I bought it. To my considerable dismay, we continued as if nothing had happened.
Quote by Scoopster:
A friend of mine who reads Hacker News and Reddit (among many many other sites) regularly coined this term about the people there who are constantly posting nonfactual garbage and whining mindlessly about the latest ridiculous scandal..
Outrage Tourist
Quote by livingonli:
Good day, folks. Slept late again so day is going very slow. Just going to take care of a thing I need to do before my bankruptcy hearing next Tuesday.
And I know many Yankee fans who also think A-Rod is a dick.
Quote by Raine:
WaPo should really get rid if this truly horrific POS. Fuck off Richard Cohen, seriously.Linda cheated on me. It happened the night before we were planning to go away for the weekend. In the morning I called her place, but there was no answer. I called again — and then again and again. Worried, I rushed over to her apartment and finding an open window, I climbed in. No one was home. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was my roommate, Neil, who knew where I had gone. Linda had just called, he told me knowingly. She said she had overslept. She said she was at home.
All this happened a long time ago, but it sticks with me — not on account of the betrayal, although that was bad enough, but on account of my reaction to it. I listened to her confession, a tearful, air-gulping account of confusion and weakness, punctuated by pledges of unwavering fidelity — and I bought it. To my considerable dismay, we continued as if nothing had happened.
But when she cried, when she begged, when she — let’s be honest here — looked so damned good, I wanted only to remain with this woman. Her betrayal was in the past. A whole future lay ahead. It could be wonderful. It turned out I valued Linda more than I was appalled by her infidelity.
Quote by Scoopster:
A friend of mine who reads Hacker News and Reddit (among many many other sites) regularly coined this term about the people there who are constantly posting nonfactual garbage and whining mindlessly about the latest ridiculous scandal..
Outrage Tourist
Quote by Raine:He's is just creepy:Quote by Raine:
WaPo should really get rid if this truly horrific POS. Fuck off Richard Cohen, seriously.Linda cheated on me. It happened the night before we were planning to go away for the weekend. In the morning I called her place, but there was no answer. I called again — and then again and again. Worried, I rushed over to her apartment and finding an open window, I climbed in. No one was home. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was my roommate, Neil, who knew where I had gone. Linda had just called, he told me knowingly. She said she had overslept. She said she was at home.
All this happened a long time ago, but it sticks with me — not on account of the betrayal, although that was bad enough, but on account of my reaction to it. I listened to her confession, a tearful, air-gulping account of confusion and weakness, punctuated by pledges of unwavering fidelity — and I bought it. To my considerable dismay, we continued as if nothing had happened.But when she cried, when she begged, when she — let’s be honest here — looked so damned good, I wanted only to remain with this woman. Her betrayal was in the past. A whole future lay ahead. It could be wonderful. It turned out I valued Linda more than I was appalled by her infidelity.
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
Glenn Greenwald -- your tin foil hat needs adjustment.
Quote by Raine:Well played, Mondo --Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
Glenn Greenwald -- your tin foil hat needs adjustment.
Quote by Raine:
Florida, this is the most interesting man in your state.