This week, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., announced he was able to get the “Rachael Booth Act” into the version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) before the U.S. House.
“The Rachael Booth Act aims to fix a gap in current law that prevents some individuals who suffer domestic abuse at the hands of a service member from receiving much-needed financial assistance,” Buchanan’s office noted. “The bill is named after Rachael Booth, a constituent of Congressman Buchanan’s from Lithia, FL, who found herself unable to access the financial assistance she should have been eligible for when her husband was convicted of domestic abuse in a civilian court and then discharged from the military on an unrelated offense.”
Buchanan and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., have championed the proposal over the last two years. U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., is co-sponsoring Buchanan’s proposal.
“Just as our men and women in the Armed Forces sacrifice for their country, so too do military spouses. In times of crisis, it’s critical that they are able to access these benefits in a timely and efficient manner,” Buchanan said. “I’m pleased to see our legislation included in this year’s NDAA to help domestic abuse victims like Rachael get back on their feet as soon as possible.”
“After surviving the trauma of domestic violence, survivors who were victimized by service members could be left without vital resources to transition to financial independence. I am proud the bipartisan work my colleague Rep. Buchanan and I did to get the Rachael Booth Act included in the NDAA bill coming to the floor this week. This language will allow for financial support to the survivors of domestic violence and close a shameful gap in the Pentagon’s transitional compensation program,” said Horsford.
Buchanan brought the bill back in February and it had been before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee since then.
Rubio also reintroduced the bill that month with U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, Maggie Hassan, D-NH, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., co-sponsoring it. Rubio’s bill has been before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee since then.
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