McCaskill Efforts to Address Dangerous Lead Levels on Military Bases Pass Senate

Press Release

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill joined with Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia, who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, in proposing two amendments that were passed by the U.S. Senate last week to address lead poisonings and dangerous lead levels in housing on U.S. Army installations in the aftermath of a recent report which highlighted the issue.

"Our servicemembers and their families sacrifice so much to serve this nation and we need to make sure we're doing all that we can to keep them safe both at home and abroad--so reports that we're falling short of that commitment by exposing children on Army bases to lead poisoning need to be addressed immediately," said McCaskill, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "This bipartisan effort is an important first step to help right this wrong."

The Senators' amendments would require the Department of Defense to comply with Center for Disease Control recommendations for screening blood-lead levels in children, as well as require the Government Accountability Office to report on the monitoring and remediation of lead and verifiable compliance with lead exposure limits in military housing.

While the sale of lead-based paint is banned in the United States, many walls in older homes still have the old paint, which can become dangerous to children as it peels and chips. Young children are most susceptible to lead poisoning, which can cause long-term developmental delays. A recent Reuters report highlighted cases of lead poisoning at on-base housing across the country.

The daughter of a World War II veteran, McCaskill has a long history of standing up for servicemembers and their families. Following recent reports that the Administration is considering plans to abandon oversight measures that help protect military servicemembers and their families from predatory lending practices, McCaskill joined with Senate colleagues and military and veteran service organizations in calling on the Administration to abandon the proposal and continue enforcement of the Military Lending Act. McCaskill also recently launched a new resource for veterans targeted by home loan refinancing scams.

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