On June 14, the Senate briefly resumed consideration of the FY2001 defense authorization bill (S. 2549). Senators were able to dispense with a number of amendments by adopting them under a unanimous consent agreement.
Among those amendments was one by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) that would remove housing assistance from the income eligibility requirements for military men and women serving overseas to qualify for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
“This amendment would simply change the rules on eligibility of overseas troops for the supplemental nutrition program to be the same as the rules for troops in the United States,” stated Sen. Harkin. “The regulations governing WIC specifically prohibit states from counting in-kind housing and other in-kind assistance in applicants’ income when determining eligibility….So this amendment directs the Secretary of Defense to follow the current practice of the states in excluding the basic allowance for housing when determining income eligibility,” he added.
When the Senate resumes debate on the measure the week of June 19, Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) are expected to offer competing amendments dealing with hate crimes.
