Deborah Koff Ross: “I include in the Record a Military.com article entitled ``Defense Bills Would Provide New Food Allowance for Low- Income…”

“I include in the Record a Military.com article entitled ``Defense Bills Would Provide New Food Allowance for Low- Income Military Families.'' [From Military.com, July 27, 2021] Defense Bills Would Provide New Food Allowance for Low-Income Military Families (By Patricia Kime) A House panel is weighing a $770 billion defense policy bill that includes a provision to give lower-income military families a basic needs allowance--a stipend that advocacy groups say would relieve stress and ``food insecurity'' among U.S. troops. The draft of the House's 2022 National Defense Authorization Act released Tuesday contains a provision similar to the Senate's proposal that would provide service members additional money for food and other basics if their household incomes do not exceed 130% of the federal poverty level--which in 2021 meant $21,960 for a family of three, $26,500 for a family of four, and slightly higher for even larger families. This is the third time the proposal has been incorporated into the House defense policy bill; unlike previous years, it also has been included in the 2022 Senate defense bill, increasing the likelihood that it will pass later this year. For an E-4 with several years in the military, a spouse and two children, the stipend could equate to roughly $250 extra a month.…”