President Bush signed the "Help America Vote Act" into law on Tuesday, October 29, 2002. While it does not provide solutions to all of our problems, there are many provisions in this legislation which, if implemented, will greatly improve procedures for voting from overseas. Before anything can happen, however, the members of the Election Assistance Commission must be appointed by the president and the incoming 108th Congress must appropriate the necessary funds. To complicate things, while the law calls for appropriations of about $3.9 billion, the President has recommended a total of only $600 million.

It will make a tremendous difference, as the Congress examines appropriations bills early in the next session, for overseas Americans to write to all those making the decisions. When the key committees are in place at the beginning of the year, all of our organizations will be informed and our members asked to write en masse, as we did in the Seventies to win the right to vote from overseas.

Please regularly check your association's website or visit the FAWCO home page at: www.fawco.org for information on who to write to and when. (The information will be posted as soon as possible after 7 January 2003 when the new Congress is sworn in). Don't let this legislation languish - the 2004 elections are much closer than you think!

Thanks to Lucy Laederich, U.S. Liaison, Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas (FAWCO) for this news. Also many thanks to FAWCO for the voting item in ACA's November edition of the News Update.

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Following is a Class Act Group update release of 20 November 2002.

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. - (18 November 2002) In a highly anticipated, but astonishing decision, one that could have far reaching financial implications for millions of US military retirees, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Washington, D.C. ruled today that Military Retirees have no legal standing and the US Government was authorized to break the promise and is not liable to provide lifetime, free medical care to those servicemen and women who served their country honorably for 20+ years.

This battle is not over. "We are all aware that whichever way the Court of Appeals ruled, that case would be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Much to my surprise, it is the G.I. Joe that is appealing" says Colonel George "Bud" Day, USAF, Ret, the attorney representing 22,000 clients. "We will employ every offensive weapon we have at our disposal for presentation of this case to the U.S. Supreme Court". Colonel Day goes on to say, "This has been a crusade of my life and I won't rest until the last round is fired. I hope every military retiree and veteran take this Appeals Court set-back personally and demand your Congressional Representative and Senators take legislative action in conjunction with our legal fight to right this wrong. Robert "Bob" Reinlie, one of the plaintiffs says, "After 20 years of care in military hospitals, my wife and I were kicked out and forced to rely on Medicare. This was not what I was promised when I pledged to serve my country for 20 years. I'm astonished the U.S. Court of Appeals has supported this injustice."

The Class Act Group will continue the initiative toward class action status and those military retirees who want to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in this fight and who believe they are eligible are encouraged to contact the Class Act Group at 32 Beal Parkway, SW, Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32548-5391. Eligible participants are limited to: military retirees who voluntarily retired with credit for 20 or more years' active duty, entering into active duty before December 7, 1956, are aged 65 or over and currently paying or have previously paid for Medicare Part B. The group's phone number is +1-800-9726275, fax +1-850-6646385, and their email address is: lawsuit@classact-lawsuit.com. For more information, log onto www.classact-lawsuit.com

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A nomination for ACA's annual Eugene B. Abrams Award is a great way to give thanks to an American abroad who has served his/her community and/or the world at large through voluntary help to others. Numerous overseas US citizens have enriched the lives of communities worldwide, often without fanfare. Do you know of one that fits into this category and is worthy of recognition? To nominate a candidate, send one or more letters of nomination, with as much detail as possible to:

        American Citizens Abroad,
        Abrams Award Committee
        5 rue Liotard
        CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland

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ACA regularly receives books for reviewing that are of particular interest to Americans residing or planning to reside abroad. Book reviews are published on the ACA web site and occasionally in the hard-copy News Report. Reviewers get the book to keep, and their names and brief bios appear with the published book reviews.

Now added as a feature of ACA's web pages (book review section) is an up-to-date list of books available for review. Persons interested in reviewing any of these books should contact ACA giving your name, mailing address and reasons why they are particularly qualified to review the book. Some of the titles currently available are: "Live and Work in Scotland", "Choose Ireland for Retirement", and Working with the Environment".

In addition, feel free to contact ACA to suggest titles to be solicited for review. Remember, ACA is interested in books that would relate to all or part of its WORLDWIDE readership of overseas Americans.

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The entire staff of ACA wishes each and everyone of you a very merry and joyous Christmas. We wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope that 2003 will bring you much joy and happiness.

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