Should Low-Income Military Families Get a Food Allowance? White House Says No

Several advocates are pushing to help military families in financial straits, supporting a proposed bill that would furnish a basic needs allowance for service members whose gross household income does not exceed 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. The provision — in the House's version of the fiscal 2020 defense policy bill — would provide a monthly allowance for military families equal to 130% of the federal poverty guidelines minus the service member's gross income (not counting any allowances) divided by 12. The Trump administration has already weighed in, taking issue with the advocates' characterization of the situation as well as the need for the bill. In a statement released July 9, the White House said it "strongly objected" to the provision because service members "receive appropriate compensation already." "Most junior enlisted members receive pay that is between the 95th and 99th percentiles relative to their private-sector peers," Office of Management and Budget officials wrote in a statement of administrative policy on the House National Defense Authorization bill, H.R. 2500. Read more on Military.com.