Washington, D.C.- Congresswoman Elise Stefanik joins Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) demanding accountability from the Department of Defense (DOD) in a letter responding to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that detailed alarmingly poor living conditions in military barracks nationwide.
The report outlines how the DOD’s mismanagement of military barracks and complete oversight failure are forcing our junior enlisted Servicemembers to live in poor conditions that are negatively impacting their quality of life. Unacceptably, the GAO report claims that our soldiers are assigned to military barracks that pose serious risks to their health and wellbeing.
The letter highlights, “Our military is already facing an unprecedented recruitment crisis and poor housing conditions will only exacerbate recruitment and retention issues. We are committed to working with DOD to rectify these problems while also maintaining rigorous oversight of the Pentagon. As members of the House Armed Services Committee, improving military housing is a top priority and will continue to be a critical part in shaping future National Defense Authorization Acts.”
The letter continues with a series of questions and requests responses by October 10, 2023.
“As a Senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am appalled at the findings of the GAO report which detail how our brave Servicemembers are being subjected to subpar living conditions in military barracks across the country. I am proudly joining my colleagues to demand that the Department of Defense make safe and clean military housing a top priority.” Stated Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. “Our men and women in uniform put their country ahead of themselves daily. At the bare minimum, we must provide our Servicemembers with a livable environment to call home. As our military faces an unprecedented recruitment crisis, it is critical that the DOD works to implement the recommendations of the GAO report and prioritizes improving the overall quality of life for our Servicemembers.”
“The recent Government Accountability Office report outlining poor living conditions in our military barracks is deeply disturbing. On a daily basis, these brave men and women put their lives on the line defending our freedoms; the least we can do is provide them adequate housing. Our soldiers are not asking to live in Taj Mahal. They deserve to live somewhere comfortable and safe that they can call home. What they have now is the exact opposite of that." Stated Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04). "The Department of Defense must rectify these problems and I will continue to hold them accountable.”
Find the full letter HERE.
