| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a Chief Deputy Whip,
today urged House Conferees to adopt a proposal by Senators Dick Durbin
(D-IL) and Ted Stevens (R-AK) “…to increase Imminent Danger Pay and
Family Separation Allowance for military personnel in the Supplemental
Appropriations bill.”
“Many
military families are experiencing severe financial hardship from increased
costs following the deployment of a family member,” Schakowsky wrote
in a letter to members of the House serving on the House-Senate Conference
Committee on the emergency funding bill. The letter was signed by
32 House members
Senator
Durbin’s proposal, which was adopted by the Senate, would increase Imminent
Danger Pay, from $150 to $225 per month, and the Family Separation Allowance,
from $100 to $250 per month.
Schakowsky
continued in the letter, “A plethora of men and women currently serving
in the U.S. Armed Forces have children, and the deployment of one or, in
some cases, both parents adds a major financial hardship of extra family
care costs. The $100 provided by the Family Separation Allowance
would hardly cover a week of even the most inexpensive child care, much
less a month. Other increased expenses include health care costs
not covered by TRICARE, and various transportation and communication expenses.”
“By
increasing Imminent Danger Pay and Family Separation Allowance in the Supplemental
Appropriations bill, we can provide immediate relief to military families
who desperately need financial relief,” Schakowsky concluded. |
