Amendment to improve Military housing

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) on Tuesday along with members of the Senate Committee on the Budget to file an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2020 budget resolution to ensure military families of safe and healthy housing.

“California’s service members and their families make sacrifices every day, and their housing should be clean and free from health hazards,” said Sen. Harris. “I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this common-sense amendment to ensure our nation’s military families live in the safe and comfortable housing that they deserve.”

The proposed Amendment would reaffirm a commitment by Congress to address allegations of health hazards at privatized military housing under budget resolution. Health hazard allegations include mold blooms, lead poisoning, cockroaches, rodent infestations, and water leaks.

Senators Harris, Warner, and Kaine introduced the Ensuring Safe Housing for our Military Act, which creates stronger oversight mechanisms over private military housing, allow the military to withhold payments to contractors until issues are resolved, and prohibit contractors from charging certain fees. It would also require the military to withhold incentive fees to poorly performing contractors.

The Senate Budget Committee is scheduled to begin its two-day markup on the FY20 budget resolution on Wednesday, March 27.