Congress is negotiating legislation that includes repeal of drastic cuts to the military per diem rate and representatives need to hear from you.

(Sept. 4, 2015) Earlier this year, the Department of Defense dramatically cut the military per diem allowances for employees on long-term travel assignments, and a repeal of these drastic cuts is in the offing. AH&LA has been advocating for a repeal of this harmful policy, which cuts the per diem allowance for workers who are on assignment for more than 30 days by 25 percent, and for those traveling for more than 180 days the per diem was cut by an astounding 45 percent. You help make this repeal a reality.

The military per diem policy is distinct from the per diem rates announced recently by the General Services Administration (GSA), and these lower rates could be very damaging to hotels that cater to military bases. It also sets a bad precedent for per diem policy in general.

Representative Derek Kilmer (D) of Washington State’s 6^th District introduced bi-partisan legislation to repeal the policy, and worked with Representative Mark Takai of Hawaii to get the legislation added to the National Defense Authorization Act. The Act was approved by the House of Representatives, while the Senate version of the NDAA includes a requirement that the Pentagon study the impact of this policy, which is not nearly as strong as the House provision.

The Senate and House are currently negotiating a final version of the NDAA to send to the President, and it is vital that hoteliers push Congress to preserve the House legislation which would repeal the Pentagon cuts to per diem allowances. That’s why Congress needs to hear from you. Adding your voice to this discussion will help ensure that we preserve these important allowances.

Contact your Members of Congress now by clicking here. It only takes a few minutes and will have a profound impact on our industry and those federal workers and their families who benefit from these allowances.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Craig Kalkut, AH&LA’S vice president of government affairs at ckalkut@ahla.com.