WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Rep. Meijer (MI-03) joined 38 of his colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Acting Secretary Whitley and General Hokanson calling for the National Guard serving at the Capitol to be paid a per diem moving forward due to unsafe food.
“I’m proud to join Rep. Huizenga, along with dozens of bipartisan colleagues, in this letter. National Guard leadership has failed to address concerns we have repeatedly raised in the past weeks about inadequate and unsafe food for the troops guarding the Capitol,” said Rep. Meijer. “I look forward to LTG Honoré’s brief on Monday regarding plans for Capitol security, but regardless of course, we should allow per diem so the soldiers and airmen currently deployed can purchase meals on the economy to avoid food poisoning or conform to dietary restrictions.”
“The quality of food being provided to the men and women serving in the capital is clearly unacceptable, unhealthy, and even harmful,” the members wrote. “There is no reason they cannot be fed safely and adequately while serving in our nation’s capital.”
The full text of the letter can be found below:
Dear Acting Secretary Whitley and General Hokanson:
Throughout the course of their deployment in our nation's capital, the men and women of the National Guard have served honorably protecting and securing the United States Capitol. We appreciate and recognize the magnitude and effort that it takes to coordinate over 5,000 guard members in the region on such short notice.
Recently, there have been a cascade of reports describing the food being provided to our soldiers as poorly prepared, oftentimes inedible, and unacceptable. This includes meals that are severely undercooked, moldy, and even filled with metal shavings. It has also been reported that the low food quality has resulted in approximately 50 soldiers being treated for gastrointestinal complaints, with some of these members needing to receive medical care at military treatment facilities.
The quality of food being provided to the men and women serving in the capital is clearly unacceptable, unhealthy, and even harmful. We write today to request that per diems be issued immediately, so that guard members can secure proper meals for the duration of their deployment in Washington, D.C. Additionally, we also request that per diems be issued retroactively to cover the cost of guard members having purchased meals with personal funds due to the unsanitary and inadequate nature of the contracted meals.
Although these conditions have been widely reported and acknowledged by leadership at the National Guard, the situation does not appear to have been rectified and immediate action must be taken. As demonstrated over the last few months, the members of the National Guard have time and time again answered the call to provide assistance and security where requested. There is no reason they cannot be fed safely and adequately while serving in our nation’s capital.
Thank you for your service to our country and we look forward to your prompt reply.
Original source can be found here.
