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Congresswoman Waters’ Statement on Pentagon Action to Suspend Recoupment of Bonuses Paid California National Guard Members

October 26, 2016

Washington, DC - Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) released the following statement in response to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s announcement he will suspend collection of enlistment bonuses paid to California National Guard soldiers.

According to a report released by the Los Angeles Times, nearly ten thousand soldiers, many of whom served multiple combat tours, were ordered to repay large enlistment bonuses — and slapped with interest charges, wage garnishments and tax liens if they refused. The overpayments were discovered after a federal audit found paperwork errors committed by the California National Guard when awarding enlistment bonuses.

“I commend Secretary Carter for his decision to suspend efforts to collect decades old enlistment bonuses from soldiers who accepted those funds in good faith to serve our country. Many of these soldiers were not responsible for the mistakes that led to these payments and should never have been held accountable for others’ misconduct. While today’s announcement is a good first step, we must act now to ensure that those who were entitled to their bonuses, especially those who may have already returned the funds or were unjustly penalized for failing to do so, are made whole.

“Unfortunately, this issue is not new to Congress and this latest incident could’ve been prevented had the Republican leadership in the House acted sooner to prevent the bonus recoupments. Language that addressed service member debt relief was briefly considered on the House floor in 2014, but Republicans resisted the inclusion of the provision in the National Defense Authorization Act to avoid a budget score. Now, Republicans are relying on insufficient language in this year’s defense authorization bill, claiming that the legislation would fix the problem when in fact the measure would not take effect until 2027.

“We owe our service members an eternal debt of gratitude for their contributions to the country. I am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure our soldiers are protected and not unduly subjected to financial strains and stress when they should be uplifted and rewarded for their distinguished service to our country.”

Congresswoman Waters today joined over 100 of her congressional colleagues in signing two letters to House Leadership and Defense Secretary Ash Carter calling for a permanent solution that makes service members whole. Congresswoman Waters remains committed to members of the military and veterans who all too often suffer through preventable obstacles after making the ultimate sacrifice.

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