{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://flood.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-flood-leads-house-letter-urging-priority-reimbursement-junior", "Congressman Flood Leads House Letter Urging Priority Reimbursement for Junior Service Members Following Democrat Shutdown", "2025-11-03", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Mike Flood", "F000474", "flood.house.gov", "flood", "https://flood.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 \u200bFriday, U.S. Congressman Mike Flood, joined by Congressmen Nicholas Begich (AK), Zach Nunn (IA), Derrick Schmidt (KS), sent a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth urging the Department of War to prioritize reimbursements for junior service members once the federal government reopens. This letter received support from the National Military Family Association.\n\n\u201cRepresenting Offutt Air Force Base, I know that enlisted and junior service members have been some of the hardest hit by the Democrat Shutdown. From families lining up at food pantries to participating in diaper drives, the shutdown\u2019s impact on our rank-and-file military service members has been harsh. That\u2019s why I\u2019m leading this letter with my colleagues, along with support from the National Military Family Association, urging the Department of War to prioritize processing reimbursements for our junior service members. This will ensure they receive the funds they depend on as quickly as possible,\u201d said Congressman Flood.\n\n\u201cDelayed reimbursements might sound like a paperwork issue, but for many junior enlisted families it\u2019s the difference between making rent and falling behind,\u201d said Besa Pinchotti, CEO of the National Military Family Association. \u201cPrioritizing these families once the shutdown is resolved will ensure that the service members with the least financial cushion aren\u2019t left waiting the longest to be made whole.\u201d\n\n\"Congress has made significant strides in recent years to improve quality of life for our junior enlisted personnel \u2014 many of whom, though, still live paycheck to paycheck. Pay uncertainty and interruptions can cause immediate financial hardship. Missed rent, childcare costs, and basic living expenses quickly accumulate, leaving the backbone of our military and their families in a precarious position,\u201d wrote the Members in their letter. \"While all who serve are deserving of timely compensation, senior officers generally possess greater financial stability and access to credit or savings. During what will most certainly be an influx of requests for back pay, allowances, and reimbursement upon the re-opening of the government, it is both imperative and practical to prioritize those most in need.\"\n\nA full copy of the letter can be found here.\n\nCongressman Flood represents Nebraska\u2019s First Congressional District, which is home to Offutt Air Force Base and STRATCOM. He is the Chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://flood.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-flood-leads-house-letter-urging-priority-reimbursement-junior"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1128528751432896, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}