Duckworth, Blackburn Call on Department of Agriculture to Help Servicemembers and Military Families Struggling with Hunger
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) take swift action to cease considering monthly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) as earned income when determining a military household’s eligibility for USDA nutrition programs. This action would be consistent with how BAH is treated by other federal agencies across the U.S. government. For example, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) exempts BAH from taxation, and does not consider this allowance as earned income when determining eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), or Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).
“By including BAH as earned income, far too many military families are cut off from USDA nutrition assistance programs,” the Senators wrote. “As a result, food pantries and food banks may often be found operating on or near military installations. In contrast, eligibility formulas for EITC, CTC, LIHTC, Head Start and other federal assistance programs treat BAH, cut them off from accessing USDA nutrition assistance. No military family should go hungry because of an antiquated bureaucratic formula that treats BAH as earned income.”
Last Congress, Senator Duckworth introduced the bipartisan Military Hunger Prevention Act, which sought to exclude the value of a housing allowance for a member of a uniformed service from any income, assets, or resources calculation for determining eligibility for any federal program issuing benefits for nutrition assistance (including the family subsistence supplemental allowance program). Duckworth’s bipartisan bill was endorsed by MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger; Greater Chicago Food Depository; the St. Louis Area Foodbank; National Military Families Association, Blue Star Families and Western Center on Law and Poverty.
Full text of the letter can be found here and below:
Dear Secretary Perdue:
We write to request that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) take rapid action to cease considering monthly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) as earned income when determining a military household’s eligibility for USDA nutrition programs.
This action would be consistent with how BAH is treated by other federal agencies across the U.S. government. For example, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) exempts BAH from taxation, and does not consider this allowance as earned income when determining eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), or Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). Equally, the Department of Health and Human Services does not consider BAH when determining eligibility for the Head Start program, among other federal assistance programs.
By including BAH as earned income, far too many military families are cut off from USDA nutrition assistance programs. As a result, food pantries and food banks may often be found operating on or near military installations. In contrast, eligibility formulas for EITC, CTC, LIHTC, and Head Start treat BAH in a way that would allow these families access to USDA nutrition assistance. No military family should go hungry because of an antiquated bureaucratic formula that treats BAH as earned income.
On behalf of the thousands of military families who volunteered to serve this nation, we urge you to consider swift implementation of this request. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
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