Members of Congress are calling for changes in food service operations for National Guard troops assigned to protect the Capitol after some fell ill from eating contaminated meals served to them.
Michigan ABC affiliate WXYZ reported earlier this week that 74 meals for Michigan National Guard troops protecting the Capitol were thrown out on Sunday after pieces of metal were found, while other undercooked meals made some guards sick. . The National Guard confirmed to The Hill that about 50 members of the National Guard were treated for gastrointestinal problems.
The problem also extended to National Guard troops sent from other states to protect the Capitol after the January 6 attack by a crowd of former President Trump
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Deputy Jefferson Van Drew (RN.J.) wrote in a letter to Chief of Staff of the National Guard, General Hokanson, President Nancy Pelosi
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Chuck SchumerRon Johnson forces reading the Senate’s 628-page bill against coronavirus on the floor. (DN.Y.) on Friday that he had recently spoken to members of his state’s National Guard who described “numerous incidents involving poorly prepared foods”.
Van Drew said that some National Guards have started to buy food at local restaurants – at their own expense – to avoid possible food poisoning from the contracted meals provided to them.
“The most serious result of this malfeasance is the impact that these failures have on the National Guard’s ability to execute its objectives. Poorly prepared food has already resulted in several incidents of gastrointestinal disorders and impacts the Guard’s ability to perform its functions,” Van Drew wrote.
“Sometimes, they must be isolated, because it cannot be determined whether their symptoms are COVID-19 or inedible foods,” added Van Drew.
Democrats and Republicans in the Michigan Congressional delegation wrote another letter to Hokanson earlier this week calling for the current food service contract to be canceled and replaced by a new provider or for members of the National Guard to receive a daily allowance to buy their own food. .
“It is completely unacceptable that our men and women serving in Washington DC are being hospitalized because of the food being provided,” lawmakers wrote in the letter led by Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.).
National Guard spokesman Matt Murphy said in a statement to The Hill that the National Guard Bureau is continuing with the current food and supplier service contract, which he said served more than 1 million meals during the mission. from Washington to more than 26,000 soldiers.
“The Joint Task Force DC continually seeks out our men and women to obtain feedback on their food, accommodation and the general conditions of their service, in order to identify and resolve problems. When potential problems are identified, we are diligent in investigating them and take corrective action, “said Murphy.
The undercooked and contaminated meals provided to the National Guards are not the first problems to arise with their accommodations during the mission to protect the Capitol.
In late January, members of the National Guard were ordered to vacate the Capitol and other Congress buildings and move into a parking lot to take their rest breaks. They ended up being relocated after the indignation of the legislators, some of whom offered their offices for the troops to sleep.
Capitol Police on Thursday requested the National Guard to extend its troop placement on the Capitol for another two months due to continued security concerns. National Guard members had been scheduled to stay until March 12.