House Armed Services Committee Leaders on Suspending Collection of Bonuses

WASHINGTON - Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on the Department of Defense’s decision to suspend the collection of bonuses awarded to our veterans:

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on the Department of Defense’s decision to suspend the collection of bonuses awarded to our veterans:

"The Defense Department has done the right thing by halting debt collections from our men and women in uniform. This is an important first step, but the servicemembers and families who received bonuses in good faith deserve to know they will be made whole, that the problem will be solved, and that those responsible will held accountable. We are working on a solution now and expect to take action in the FY17 NDAA. Congress must act to give them the peace of mind they have earned.”