Biden administration slashes military stipend for 48,000 troops
Candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, Kathy Barnette, joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the decision, saying arguing it can be added to the administration's 'list of grievances.'
Candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, Kathy Barnette, is speaking out after the Biden administration cut military cost-of-living stipends for thousands of troops stationed in pricey areas around the country.
PENTAGON TO CUT STATESIDE COST-OF-LIVING STIPEND FOR THOUSANDS OF TROOPS IN 2022
Barnette, who is a veteran herself, joined "Fox & Friends First" to discuss the move, telling Benjamin Hall the decision can be added to the "list of grievances" regarding the Biden administration's treatment of the military.
"I think we can add this to the long list of grievances that we have with the Biden administration and how they have dealt with our service members," Barnette explained.
She continued by slamming the White House for how it treated U.S. troops after Biden's inauguration and the way it withdrew American forces from Afghanistan earlier this year.
President Biden greets soldiers at Fort Bragg to mark the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday on Nov. 22, 2021.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES HOUSING ALLOWANCE RAISE AND OTHER MEASURES TO ASSIST STRUGGLING TROOPS
"Now we have our service members once more sacrificing, putting their families out here and the federal government sending them to these very expensive cities - and now removing a very small stipend as you've already indicated," she continued.
Barnette also acknowledged the impact this move will have on military families given skyrocketing consumer prices across the board as Americans continue to grapple with rampant inflation.
"The cost of living is so much higher and this particular stipend, although small, covers non-housing expenses, food, energy, gas, all of which are a direct result of the failed policies of this administration," Barnette stated.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Pentagon announced the change last week, which is expected to take effect Jan. 1 and will take the Continental United States Cost-of-Living Allowance (CONUS COLA) away from almost 50,000 troops.
Service members are only eligible for COLA when they are stationed in an area that has non-housing costs which are 8% over the national average.
Washington, D.C., and Boston were two of the locations that will no longer offer the COLA stipend in 2022.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox