Senators Press NDAA Conferees to Protect Basic Allowance for Housing
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Boozman (R-AR), and Jon Tester (D-MT) are leading a bipartisan effort urging Senate and House Armed Services Committee leadership to protect dual-military families, women and junior members of the Armed Forces. Boozman, Murkowski and Tester are joined by 15 Senators urging FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conferees to eliminate changes to the military’s Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) in the final version of the bill.
The Senate-passed NDAA includes provisions that drastically cut earned military compensation for dual-service military families and single service members living together.
“The changes outlined in S.2943 would cause significant financial hardship to many military families and unfairly penalize dual-service military couples as well as single service members who cohabitate in order to make financial ends meet. This proposal is particularly damaging to our female service members who have served honorably in their careers and earned their due compensation,” members wrote.
In addition to creating significant financial hardship for many service members and their families, the provisions in the Senate legislation will bring about costly, new administrative burdens and unintended consequences to the military services.
Senate and House leaders are resolving differences between the two versions of the NDAA. The House bill protected the BAH.
In addition to Boozman, Murkowski and Tester, the letter was signed by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Richard Burr (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cory Gardner (R-CO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bill Nelson (R-FL), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Mark Warner (D-VA).
