REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ RELEASES STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE SUSPENSION OF BONUS COLLECTION FROM CALIFORNIA SOLDIERS BY THE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-46), senior member of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, released the following statement after Secretary Carter announced that the Pentagon will suspend all efforts to collect enlistment bonuses from California National Guard members.  

Secretary Carter today released a statement affirming that he has ordered the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to suspend all efforts to collect bonuses from California National Guard members until a streamlined process can be determined.

“Secretary Carter took the necessary steps to halt the collection of bonuses from our soldiers in California. Requiring soldiers to pay back the debts in the first place was an injustice to them and a poor way of repayment for their service to our country. We must continue to work towards a solution that will protect our soldiers from unfair collection efforts in the future.”

“While Secretary Carter made the right choice to halt efforts to collect these bonuses from affected California National Guard members, I hope that he will make that same choice for other National Guard members in other states that are affected by this issue. “