Blumenthal, Murphy Join Bipartisan Group of Senators Urging DoD to Restore Guard Bonuses

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) joined a bipartisan group of 30 senators led by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in asking U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to restore bonuses and benefits incorrectly awarded to National Guard soldiers through no fault of their own. The Department has sought to recoup the wrongly awarded benefits after an audit found that due to faulty paperwork, mistakes by recruiters, and at least one case of criminal fraud, soldiers who did not qualify for the bonuses had received them.

For those soldiers who have not already paid back the wrongly awarded bonuses, the senators also ask that the Defense Department make the process for considering debt forgiveness easy to navigate. They also commended Secretary Carter for suspending recoupment efforts until the situation can be more fully understood.

In the letter to Secretary Carter, the senators wrote:  “Current reports allege that most, if not all, of the rank and file members of the California Guard simply accepted a bonus which they should not have been offered. If this is the case, then we believe these debts should be forgiven. For those who have already undertaken the burden to repay them, the Department should return the amount recouped, along with appropriate compensation.”

During the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Congress approved allowing the Army to offer generous reenlistment bonuses for certain military specialties that were in high demand. As a result, tens of thousands of men and women extended their time of service, deploying for second, third or fourth times. An October 22 investigative report by the Los Angeles Times highlighted the stories of several soldiers forced to repay those bonuses and associated benefits, even when they were taken in good faith by these soldiers.

Joining Blumenthal, Murphy, Leahy, Feinstein and Boxer in sending the letter to the Department of Defense were Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Corey Booker (D-N.J.), Robert Casey (D-Pa.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

A copy of the letter is available online.

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