Hey, folks. Something a bit different this time. A petition was brought to my attention tonight by my good buddy Jeff, a retired RN who spent more than twenty-five years in the Public Health Service serving this country. Due to the ongoing reckless and irresponsible republican shutdown of our government here in the US, Jeff and other retired (and current active duty) officers in the PHS and NOAA may be denied their hard-earned pensions and pay. Here’s what the petition has to say:

“Thousands of retired officers from the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps may not be paid at the end of October — not because they didn’t earn it, but because they don’t have the same pay protections as retirees from the armed services. These retired officers have served alongside those in the armed services. They’ve flown through hurricanes and fought pandemics. They’ve deployed across the globe for missions vital to our national security, and we’ve rewarded them with uncertainty and unfair treatment. All entities of the federal government – lawmakers in both chambers, as well as stakeholders in the executive branch – must ensure retirees of all eight uniformed services receive their service-earned retirement pay during the shutdown.” – Military Officers Association of America

Recently, the Senate voted on a bill that would have paid some federal workers during the shutdown, but not all, and that bill failed. Why? Here’s an excerpt from a statement by Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Delaware): “Democrats proposed two alternatives that would pay all federal employees, not just those the Trump administration deems worthy. It was no surprise that it was shot down by Republicans.”

Please join me in signing this petition on behalf of my friend Jeff–who dedicated his professional career to helping save lives—and his fellow brothers and sisters in the PHS and NOAA, both active and retired. They deserve honor and respect for their selfless service. Let’s make sure they’re treated fairly.

Here’s the link:

https://moaa.quorum.us/campaign/145079/

(You needn’t be a member of the military to sign; this petition is open to US citizens only.)