{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-tulsi-gabbard-lawmakers-call-timely-answers-pentagon-claw-backs", "Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Lawmakers Call For Timely Answers on Pentagon Claw Backs", "2016-10-31", "2016", "2016-10", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Tulsi Gabbard", "G000571", "gabbard.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Honolulu, HIRep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and 200 other Members of Congress called on the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide answers on reports that nearly 10,000 soldiers have been ordered to pay back enlistment bonuses. In a letter to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, the lawmakers called for an immediate halt to the recoupment efforts, demanded the DoD waive payment collection under their current authority, and called for timely answers on the Pentagon's plans to investigate and address this issue nationwide.  \n\t  \n\tRep. Tulsi Gabbard said, It is absolutely unacceptable for the DoD to claw back promises made to our veterans and their families, years after their service. During a time our nation was in great need, these guardsmen stepped up, put their lives on the line, and deployed and redeployed to defend our nation. While the DoD was right to immediately halt recoupment, many veterans have already been forced to pay back thousands of dollars, with interest, and now wait in uncertainty. The Pentagon should permanently waive the recoupment of these bonuses, reimburse those who have already repaid, and provide immediate answers to our veterans and their families.  \n\t  Full text of the letter Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and other lawmakers delivered to the Pentagon is available here\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-tulsi-gabbard-lawmakers-call-timely-answers-pentagon-claw-backs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2009038366377354, "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"}