A bipartisan pair of senators is looking to cut down on out-of-pocket costs female troops face when buying items for their uniforms.
A bill introduced Wednesday by Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, aims to eliminate the so-called “pink tax,” or the higher costs of female uniforms compared to male uniforms.
“It is absurd that we are forcing service members to fork over thousands of dollars in order to pay for necessary clothing items that they wear while serving our country,” Hassan said in a statement last week when introducing the bill. “This disparity in uniform costs is particularly stark for women, who are in some cases paying almost twice as much for the same uniform item as their male counterparts.”
The bill would require the Pentagon to review any changes to uniforms for potential out-of-pocket costs between genders, as well as mandate a report on the retail costs of items for male and female officers and enlisted personnel.
