Huizenga leads call for National Guard deployed in D.C. to receive per diems

Due to the poor quality of food being served to the National Guard deployed to the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) led a bipartisan group of 38 lawmakers in requesting that the soldiers receive per diems, or daily allowances, that would be retroactive and ongoing throughout their deployment. 

“The quality of food being provided to the men and women serving in the capital is clearly unacceptable, unhealthy, and even harmful,” Rep. Huizenga and his colleagues wrote in a March 4 letter sent to Acting Secretary of the Army John Whitley and National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson. “We write today to request that per diems be issued immediately, so that guard members can secure proper meals for the duration of their deployment in Washington, D.C.”

Recently, according to the congressmen’s letter, numerous reports described how the soldiers have received poorly prepared, oftentimes inedible, and unacceptable meals, including those that were undercooked, moldy and some that contained metal shavings. 

“It has also been reported that the low food quality has resulted in approximately 50 soldiers being treated for gastrointestinal complaints, with some of these members needing to receive medical care at military treatment facilities,” wrote Rep. Huizenga and the members, who included Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Troy Balderson (R-OH), and Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), among others. 

While such conditions have been widely reported in the media and acknowledged by leadership at the National Guard, according to their letter, the situation appears unchanged and the lawmakers called for immediate action to be taken. 

“Additionally, we also request that per diems be issued retroactively to cover the cost of guard members having purchased meals with personal funds due to the unsanitary and inadequate nature of the contracted meals,” Rep. Huizenga and his colleagues wrote.