Rep. Brian K. Fitzpatrick, U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 1st District | Official U.S. House headshot
Rep. Brian K. Fitzpatrick, U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 1st District | Official U.S. House headshot
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), along with Reps. Richard Hudson (NC-9), Don Bacon (NE-2), Dan Bishop (NC-8), Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-7), Brian Mast (FL-21), Greg Pence (IN-6), August Pfluger (TX-11), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Pat Fallon (TX-4), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-1) sent a letter to U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth requesting immediate action to address the Army's poor housing conditions within military barracks and other housing units, including poor air and water quality, mold, and PFAS contamination.
The letter states: "As Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we write to you today requesting swift action to address the current state of indoor environmental conditions in the Army's existing barracks and housing portfolio."
It continues: "Substandard indoor environmental conditions in military housing pose a significant health risk to our military personnel and are contributing to long term chronic illnesses and growing liabilities. These living environments have become a detriment to our recruiting and retention, as well as the readiness and resiliency of our warfighters."
The congressmen referenced a 2023 Government Accountability Office report that unveiled hazardous health conditions within military barracks, along with a recent Quality of Life report highlighting inadequate living conditions.
"We acknowledge the progress the Department of Defense has made in its Strategy for Resilient & Healthy Defense Communities," they wrote. The letter further notes improvements at Fort Meade and Fort Liberty due to third-party indoor health certifications.
The representatives emphasized that "the Army must utilize viable, scalable, and evidence-based approaches" for improving housing conditions. They also requested information on how remaining FY 2024 funds will be used to address these concerns.
They posed several questions regarding actions planned with FY 2024 funds, barriers preventing rapid adoption of effective strategies seen at Fort Meade and Fort Liberty across all facilities, allocations in the FY 2025 budget request for addressing indoor health contaminants, and how industry benchmarks will be used to validate improvements over time.
"We look forward to your timely response on this important matter," concluded the letter.
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