Lawmakers praised the Pentagon’s decision Wednesday to suspend its efforts to recoup bonuses paid to National Guard troops more than a decade ago but said more needs to be done.
“I am very pleased that the Department of Defense responded to the outcry from Americans across the nation,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a statement. “As I discussed with the deputy secretary of Defense last night, our veterans have already given more than what they owe to this nation, and today’s swift action demonstrates that the department agrees.”
Following a flood of bipartisan outrage, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Wednesday morning the collection efforts would be halted “as soon as practical.” The Pentagon will review the process whereby soldiers can seek relief from debt, Carter added, and the collections will be suspended until Carter is satisfied that the process is working effectively.
Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times reported that said the Pentagon has been trying to recoup more than $20 million paid to thousands of National Guard service members who reenlisted at the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The bonuses were meant to go to troops with in-demand skills but were applied more liberally. It happened in every state, but California was hardest hit.
Though McCarthy praised the Pentagon’s announcement, he said lawmakers should find a way to keep such a scenario from occurring again.
“While I am happy we were able to work with officials at the Department of Defense to address this issue, we must continue to work to provide a long-term legislative solution so that this never happens again,” he said.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) thanked McCarthy, committee chairmen and others for pressing the issue after it came to light.
“I’m glad the Pentagon came to its senses,” Ryan said in a statement. “Congress will continue to work on any reforms necessary to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
The leaders of House Armed Services Committee said they expect to address the issue in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“The Defense Department has done the right thing by halting debt collections from our men and women in uniform,” Reps. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.), chairman and ranking member of the committee, respectively, said in a statement. “This is an important first step, but the service members and families who received bonuses in good faith deserve to know they will be made whole, that the problem will be solved, and that those responsible will held accountable. We are working on a solution now and expect to take action in the FY17 NDAA. Congress must act to give them the peace of mind they have earned.”
California’s senators, Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, welcomed Wednesday’s announcement, but said it will only provide temporary relief.
Feinstein and Boxer maintained the Pentagon already has the authority to waive the debt, but vowed to introduce legislation nonetheless.
“When Congress returns after the election, we will introduce legislation to hold the Pentagon to its commitments,” they said in a joint statement. “We’re hopeful the Pentagon will resolve this issue on its own, but want to ensure those who wore our nation’s uniform that they won’t be punished for the actions of others.”
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), who called the effort to recoup the bonuses “boneheaded,” said the Pentagon made the right decision, but highlighted that Carter didn’t need any additional authority to act.
“This isn’t just the right action to take, it’s the only action to take — and I’m pleased that the secretary of Defense is waiving repayment for most Guardsmen,” Hunter said in a statement. “But it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that the secretary is taking this action through existing authority and that same authority could have been exercised at any point since the size and scope of the situation was realized.”
A spokesman for Hunter elaborated that though Carter’s decision Wednesday did not waive the debts, he understands that the intent ultimately is to do so for everyone who did not know they were ineligible for the bonuses.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) pledged to continue working on legislation to fix the issue.
“Secretary Carter made the right call to suspend efforts to collect bonuses and benefits that were given in error to soldiers who enlisted or reenlisted to serve our nation during war time,” Schiff said in a statement. “While this will help some families sleep a bit easier at night, much more needs to be done, starting with congressional legislation to waive these debts and to provide relief to soldiers who have already repaid some or all of the bonuses they accepted in good faith.”
Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) likewise said he would work on a solution.
“I applaud this decision from the secretary of Defense, but I am committed to finding a permanent fix,” he tweeted.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) called Carter’s announcement a first step and said it’s on the Pentagon to stop collections for good.
“Following national outrage and pressure from lawmakers of all parties, Secretary Carter has taken the appropriate first step, but let me be clear: a temporary suspension is not enough,” Issa said in a statement. “The Department of Defense needs to permanently stop these collection efforts and return every penny to those who’ve already repaid them. The men and women who served our nation upheld their end of the bargain. It’s time for the Department of Defense to do the same.”
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said Congress and the Pentagon need to work together on a solution.
“While this is a step in the right direction, it is not a resolution for the hundreds, if not thousands of service members and veterans caught in this ridiculous situation,” he said in a statement. “Only by ensuring that every single member of the California Guard is treated with dignity and respect do we fully honor the service and sacrifice of those who answered the call to defend our nation.”
But Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), chairman of the committee, slammed Carter’s move as “weak and ham-handed.”
“Carter seems to have no plan to make those who’ve already been forced to pay back their bonuses whole, and by focusing only on the California Guard, he is ignoring what media reports indicate could be a national problem,” Miller added in a statement. “Once again, it seems Congress will be forced to fix a problem that the Obama administration created but refuses to fully address on its own.”
Updated at 5:14 p.m.