Lamborn Urges DoD To Help Struggling Military Families

WASHINGTON, DC – Colorado Springs Rep. Doug Lamborn (R, CO-5) is calling on the Department of Defense (DoD) to come to the aid of military families suffering financial hardship as a result of the decision to restrict the movement of service personnel and their families during the current health crisis.

The Congressman this week signed on to a bipartisan letter urging the Defense Secretary to recognize the severe financial problems being experienced as a result of the Order and come to the families’ aid.

The Stop Movement Order was issued by DoD on March 11th, curtailing all military-related movement for the immediate future whilst the nation fights the COVID-19 pandemic. For many military families though, including those in the midst of a Permanent Change of Station or Temporary Duty relocation, retirement or other separation, the Order has left them struggling to pay signed housing contracts in two locations whilst they scramble to regain accommodation or removal deposits.

In addition, many families are having to pay to store, return or replace cars or clothes or furniture that had already been shipped, expenses that are throwing thousands of service personnel and their families into a level of financial crisis that the coalition believes the service is not currently equipped to resolve.

For example, under current policy Army families are limited to a maximum of $1,500 in total to offset expenses incurred whilst transferring, but concerns remain as to whether Installation Commanders or Family Readiness Centers have the resources to support those families currently in financial distress, concerns the DoD has yet to address.

In response Congressman Lamborn joined the cross-country, bipartisan coalition of U.S. Representatives in calling on the DoD to recognize the distress service members and families are experiencing as a result of the Order and to provide urgent financial relief.

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 (D, NM-01, Albuquerque) and endorsed by several military and veterans’ support organizations including the National Military Family Association and Veterans of Foreign Wars. It was signed by 35 U.S. Representatives, including 29 Democrats and 6 Republicans from constituencies across the country. Aurora’s Jason Crow (D, CO-6) was the other Colorado Representative to sign.

Rep. Lamborn had criticized the DoD earlier this year for failing to go far enough in protecting military families’ housing rights. In February, acting as Ranking Member on the Readiness Subcommittee he joined with other Armed Service Committee leaders to condemn the DoD’s Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) Tenant Bill of Rights.

MHPI was introduced in 1996 to increase private sector involvement in the provision of military housing. Lamborn believed the Bill of Rights for tenants in private housing failed to include specific language in three key areas, “The right to dispute resolution, the ability to withhold rent, and access to a home’s maintenance history.” The Congressman vowed to use the legislative process to ensure those areas would be included in future Bills.

The Defense Secretary’s office has been approached for comment on both the Stop Movement Order letter and the concerns re the Tenant Bill of Rights but have yet to respond.

The Stop Movement letter can be read in full at : https://haaland.house.gov/sites/haaland.house.gov/files/wysiwyg_uploaded/Letter_DoD-FinancialReliefForMilitaryFamilies_04022020_0.pdf