Lawmakers push to forgive GIs’ debts

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Members of Congress and veterans leaders on Monday called for federal action to absolve the debts of nearly 10,000 soldiers in California who have been ordered by the Pentagon to repay enlistment bonuses a decade after they signed up to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lawmakers from California expressed outrage, including Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer; House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican; and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat.

Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers said the California National Guard is working with members of Congress to introduce legislation that, if approved and signed by the president, would order the National Guard Bureau to clear the debts of soldiers who were wrongly told that they were eligible for bonuses of $15,000 or more.

The total amount given out in bonuses is not clear, but the Los Angeles Times reported that $22 million has been recovered in California so far.

“This is how you destroy all faith in a Pentagon that is supposed to have your back,” Brian Duffy, head of the national service organization Veterans of Foreign Wars, said in an emailed statement.

The Guard offered the bonuses and student loan aid to re-enlist at the height of the two wars in the 2000s.

The Pentagon demanded the money back after audits revealed overpayments by the California Guard under pressure to fill ranks and hit enlistment goals. If soldiers refuse, they could face interest charges, wage garnishments and tax liens, the Times reported.