Congress Demands Answers from Hegseth on Army Misappropriating Millions Meant for Food
By Steve Beynon
Published March 04, 2025 at 12:17pm ET
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for answers on the Army's handling of meal funds as questions mount over the apparent misallocation of tens of millions of dollars intended to feed soldiers.
The scrutiny follows a Military.com investigation revealing that the Army cannot account for more than $151 million deducted from troops' paychecks -- funds meant to cover meals. On Tuesday, 21 lawmakers penned a letter to Hegseth on the matter and about concerns over access to nutritious food.
At the heart of the issue is the Army's Basic Allowance for Subsistence, or BAS, a roughly $460 monthly stipend for soldiers meant to offset food costs. For many junior enlisted troops living in barracks, much of that allowance is automatically deducted to fund dining facilities. Lawmakers, however, are questioning whether those deductions are being used effectively and appropriately.
"Our service members are the best among us and expect fair compensation from their government," Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., who is leading the oversight effort, said in a statement. "If a service member is losing money from their paycheck because they are being given a meal, it is reasonable for them to expect that funding will be used only to cover the costs of providing it and to ensure it is of the highest possible quality."
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/03/04/armys-use-of-soldier-food-allowances-spurs-bipartisan-inquiry-congress.html
