Press Releases
PRESS RELEASE: Congressman Alford Leads Letter Concerning Army Living Conditions
Washington,
October 13, 2023
Washington, DC – Yesterday, as first reported by Military Times, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) has led 5 of his colleagues in a letter to the Secretary of the Army and the Assistant Secretary of Defense concerning a recent report from the U.S. Army Audit regarding Lead-Based Paint (LBP) and Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) in privatized military housing.
The letter specifically asks: 1) Considering the amount of LBP and ACM found at Fort Cavazos, Fort Liberty, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, how widespread is this issue? How many Army privatized housing units across the country have LBP and ACM? 2) If an Army housing office supervisor fails to conduct oversight through the checklist and LBP visual assessment forms, what actions are taken to hold them accountable? 3) If privatized partners are responsible for the risk assessment, what is the Army doing to ensure risk assessments are being carried out? What is DoD and the Army doing to ensure there are no gaps in communication between the Army and privatized partners on risk assessments?
The following Representatives are cosigners (5):
Congressman Alford issued the following statement: "It's evident from the audit that protocols were not followed with assessments for lead-based paint and asbestos. We need answers from DoD and the Army on how these failures can be corrected, how oversight can be improved with private partners, and how widespread this issue is across installations not included in the audit. We owe it to our service members and their families to ensure they have adequate housing."
Congressman Wittman added: “Our brave U.S. service members and their families sacrifice so much for our nation — at a minimum, they deserve quality accommodations and safe living conditions. I am proud to join my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee in urging the Defense Department to hold Army housing officials accountable and ensure our military families are taken care of.”
Congressman Waltz said: “I have serious concerns regarding the audit’s findings. Our military families shouldn’t have to worry about asbestos and lead paint affecting their health. We need to understand how widespread this problem is and hold those responsible for it accountable. Our servicemembers and their loved ones deserve no less.”
Media inquiries for Rep. Alford should be directed to Austin Higginbotham at austin.higginbotham@mail.house.gov. |