New Bill Reimburses MI National Guard Soldiers At U.S. Capitol

LANSING, MI — A new bill signed Friday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will provide reimbursements to members of the Michigan National Guard who were deployed at the U.S. Capitol earlier this year.

Under House Bill 4019, which was sponsored by Rep. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell), the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs will issue a one-time grant to soldiers deployed to Washington, D.C. in support of the Capitol Response II mission within 45 days of receiving funds.

The total amount donated — $110,000 — will be divided by the number of eligible soldiers deployed to establish an equal grant amount for each soldier, according to the provisions of the bill.

"I am grateful to the brave men and women of the Michigan National Guard for their service earlier this year protecting our nation’s Capitol Building," Whitmer said in a statement Friday. "The Michigan National Guard has risen to the occasion over the past year as we responded to COVID-19, natural disasters, and civil unrest. It is unacceptable that our service members faced hardships of inadequate meals while serving our nation.

"I am delighted to sign this bipartisan bill to recognize Michigan National Guard members for their service."

Many members of the National Guard stationed at the U.S. Capitol earlier this year had to purchase meals out of their own pockets during deployment due to inadequate food served through a third-party vendor.

Some guardsmen from Michigan said they were provided with food that was undercooked, moldy and even filled with metal shavings, drawing national attention, according to CBS News.

Members of the National Guard were present at the U.S. Capitol following the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt at Capitol Hill in which protesters supporting former President Donald Trump stormed Capitol grounds, overrunning U.S. Capitol Police.