Politics & Government
OC Reps Urge DoD : Help Military Families In Need
Congressmen Cisneros and Levin join coalition urging financial relief for military families caught by DoD's 'Stop Movement' COVID-19 order.
WASHINGTON, DC – On March 11th the Department of Defense (DoD) issued the Stop Movement Order, curtailing all military-related movement whilst the nation fights the COVID-19 pandemic. For many military families though, especially those in the midst of a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) relocation, the Order has left them scrambling to pay housing contracts in two locations and struggling to regain accommodation or removal deposits.
Today a bipartisan coalition of U.S. Representatives has called on the DoD to recognize those service members and families and provide urgent financial relief.
Reps. Gil Cisneros (CA-39, Yorba Linda) and Mike Levin (CA-49, San Diego, Camp Pendleton) are part of that coalition.
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The Stop Movement policy affects not just personnel on Permanent Change or Temporary Duty status, but also those approaching separation or retirement and has left many service members struggling to honor housing contracts, recoup deposits or other expenses related to their expected-but-now-cancelled moves.
Those difficulties have yet to be addressed by the DoD hence the bipartisan and cross-country coalition coming together to call for support.
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In the letter, addressed to Defense Secretary Mike Esper, the group write, “We strongly urge you to show the same level of swift action you did in issuing the Stop Movement Order to exercise every measure within your authority to provide the Services with the guidance and resources needed to ensure care and support to every military member and family adversely affected by this order.”
The letter was organized by Rep. Deb Haaland (NM-01, Albuquerque) and signed by 35 U.S. Representatives, including 29 Democrats and 6 Republicans, from constituencies across the country. Four other California Representatives signed on to the letter, in addition to Reps. Cisneros and Levin : Jackie Speier (D, CA-14), Salud Carbajal (D, CA-24), Julia Brownley (D, CA-26) and Tony Cardenas (D, CA-29).
The letter was endorsed by several military and veterans’ support organizations including the National Military Family Association and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The Defense Secretary’s office have yet to respond to requests for comment
The letter can be read in full at : https://haaland.house.gov/sites/haaland.house.gov/files/wysiwyg_uploaded/Letter_DoD-FinancialReliefForMilitaryFamilies_04022020_0.pdf
