Columbus, GA – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) held a town hall meeting at Fort Benning today with service members and their families who highlighted a range of issues including military housing, education, and rising health care costs. As the new Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, Rep. Bishop is looking for solutions to ease the burden of wartime service, and improve the support system for military families.
“Hearing the concerns and issues directly from service members and their family members at Fort Benning is extremely valuable, and will help me do my job in Washington,” said Congressman Bishop. “I am very grateful to those who offered their candid assessment of the areas where we can improve the services and programs we provide to them, and I plan to share the details of what I heard with my colleagues in Washington.
Rep. Bishop co-chairs of the Congressional Military Family Caucus with Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA), whose mission is to educate Members of Congress on the challenges that military families face on a daily basis, and ensure that service members and their families receive adequate housing, facilities, and the overall quality of life support that they deserve.
The town hall meeting at Fort Benning was the second in a series of town hall meetings Congressman Bishop has held this year. Earlier this month, he held an event at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, GA and heard similar concerns from the Marines and their families who rotate to bases across the country and abroad.
Fort Benning has been home to the Infantry since 1918, and Rep. Bishop played a large role in moving the Army Maneuver Center to Fort Benning as part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Many of the troops and family members in attendance have had their loved ones deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, and understand the challenges of serving during wartime.
“Our troops who put themselves in harm’s way are the finest public servants in the country, and while they have sacrificed to protect the freedoms we cherish, so too have their spouses and children,” said Congressman Bishop. “They deserve the support and resources to give them some peace of mind and stability here at home. Hearing from them today will allow me to be a more effective advocate for their needs in Washington.”
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