The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation introduced by Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) aimed to improve the quality of housing for troops located on military bases.
The amendment was added to the large appropriations bill H.R. 4052 and will instruct the Biden administration to prioritize these projects. Further, the amendment will dramatically increase funding for various improvement projects from $155 million last year to $550 million this year.
“Ensuring our service members have safe and properly-maintained barracks is crucial to not only the well-being of our troops, but to military retention. Prioritizing quality barracks should be a priority of the Pentagon and the Biden Administration—not social justice or climate change initiatives,” Green said after the amendment passed.
Green introduced the legislation earlier this week after residents of Fort Campbell detailed mold and pest infestations in their living spaces. Residents of the base connected the chronic issues to sickness in children who reside on the base
“As the voice in Washington for thousands of soldiers and their families at Fort Campbell, I remain committed to ensuring our service members can focus on the mission at hand. Dilapidated barracks across all branches of our Armed Forces serves as a disincentive to reenlistment—my amendment helps fix this pressing problem. America’s sons and daughters made the selfless commitment to serve and protect this country. The least we can do for them is provide clean, structurally-sound, and well-maintained housing,” Green continued.
Additionally, Fort Campbell residents are not the only service members who have reported unsatisfactory living conditions on military bases. Troops living at Fort Hood filed a lawsuit against their privatized base housing landlords for the lack of action and poor state of the living quarters.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
