Congresswoman Susan Davis has introduced bipartisan legislation designed to aid tens of thousands of service member and their families nationwide pay for their groceries.
“Those who make great personal sacrifices in service to our country should not have to struggle to provide regular, nutritious meals for their families,” Davis, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement to The San Diego Union-Tribune. “Unfortunately, an unintended policy barrier prevents military families struggling with food insecurity from getting help from available federal nutrition assistance programs. This is a simple, common sense solution to ensuring that we properly care for our men and women in uniform and their families.”
The barrier she referenced is the Basic Allowance for Housing, a monthly allowance to troops living off-base or in privatized housing. It’s counted as income when determining whether service members and their families qualify for food stamps and other aid.
Organizations that have endorsed the new bill include MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, the Western Center on Law & Poverty, the Hunger Advocacy Network, Blue Star Families, the National Military Family Association, the Air Force Sergeants Association and the Military Health Project.
