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Perry argued against bipartisan bill to support military spouses
New reporting from Stars and Stripes covers the latest in Scott Perry’s thread of disrespectful and demeaning comments – this time, toward military spouses.
During a congressional hearing, Perry argued against a bipartisan bill “that would offer military spouses working for the federal government [career] flexibility during military-mandated moves,” saying that unemployment suffered by military families “comes with the territory.”
Perry’s comments, “built upon harmful and outdated stereotypes,” are part of a lengthy record working against the needs of our service members and veterans:
DCCC Spokesperson Aidan Johnson:
“Scott Perry should be embarrassed and ashamed of the way he disrespects military families. Time and again, when it comes to protecting veterans and servicemembers, Perry has proven he can’t be trusted.”
Stars and Stripes: Retired Army general says employment struggles for military spouses are part of being a family in the service
Rose Thayer | May 15, 2024
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A retired Army general now serving as a House lawmaker argued Wednesday that a military spouse’s struggle to have a fulfilling career is just part of the sacrifice of a family in the service and doesn’t need protection.
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“We cannot fashion our decisions on national security based on the individual needs of people that signed up of their own volition for a job that they wanted to pursue,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said during a hearing of the House Oversight Committee. “We’re happy that they want to serve. We’re happy that they want to sacrifice, but that’s what comes with the territory. If that’s not for you, we need insurance salesmen and we need people to clean pools and we need all kinds of things in America.”
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Perry, whose district includes the Army’s Carlisle Barracks, made the comments during the committee’s debate about a bill that would offer military spouses working for the federal government flexibility during military-mandated moves. He first enlisted in the Army in 1980 and retired in 2019 as a one-star general in the Pennsylvania National Guard.
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The Resilient Employment and Authorization Determination to Increase National Employment of Serving Spouses Act, or READINESS Act, allows for spouses preparing to move with their service member to request a determination about whether their job can be completed remotely on a temporary basis, be reassigned to the new duty station or be transferred to a comparable job.
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If none of these options fit, the bill allows the employee to go into nonpay status for up to six months. The spouse would retain their nonfinancial benefits while their employer would be allowed to fill the position. The measure would also apply to spouses of foreign service employees.
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Maria Donnelly, an Army spouse who has worked with other spouses to get this bill into Congress, watched the hearing online and said Perry’s comments are built upon harmful and outdated stereotypes, while Cloud ignored the hundreds of spouses who work as Defense Department civilians supporting warfighting efforts.
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“We marry our spouses because we love them and supporting them should not come at an unmanageable cost,” she said. “Most families in the United States need two incomes to survive, and military families are no different. Moreover, employing spouses is a much easier, much cheaper way to help military families — the other option to retain military service members is retention bonuses or increased pay.”
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Emmalee Gruesen, a Navy spouse also involved with the bill, said they plan to reach out to Perry’s office to discuss the importance of financial stability for military families.
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Unemployment among military spouses is about 21%, according to the Defense Department. It’s hovered at about that mark for more than a decade, despite millions of dollars spent to address the issue. The White House estimated about 16,000 military spouses work for the federal government, though the statistic is not well tracked.
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