April 27, 2022

Duckworth Secures Support from Coast Guard Commandant Nominee for Her Efforts to Prevent Military Hunger

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, met with Admiral Linda Fagan to discuss her nomination to become Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. During their conversation, Senator Duckworth secured Admiral Fagan’s support for her efforts to update the law to ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture excludes Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) when calculating a U.S. Coast Guard active duty member’s eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), just as the Internal Revenue Service excludes BAH when calculating a member of the U.S. Coast Guard’s earned income to determine eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

“It was great to meet with Admiral Linda Fagan and I was pleased that she shares my view that if even one Coast Guard family goes hungry, that is one too many. I look forward to working with Admiral Fagan to update the law to require the Department of Agriculture to exclude BAH when determining a Coast Guard member’s eligibility for SNAP. As someone whose family relied on nutrition programs after my father lost his job, and who served in the uniform for most of my adult life, I’m proud to be championing this legislative effort and I’m glad to have Admiral Fagan’s support. If confirmed by the Senate, I believe Admiral Fagan will serve as an excellent Commandant of the Coast Guard.”

Senator Duckworth led the bipartisan effort in the Senate to get the U.S. Department of Agriculture to exclude BAH when calculating the income of a member of a uniformed service to determine eligibility for federal nutrition programs. Duckworth also authored the bipartisan Military Family Nutrition Access Act, which would ensure that BAH is excluded when determining a member of a uniformed service’s eligibility for SNAP to ensure that military families struggling to put food on the table receive the support they’ve earned serving our country.

Duckworth is a combat Veteran who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years. She also serves on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

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