First lady Jill Biden was joined by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma on Wednesday to highlight new efforts from the Biden administration making it easier for military spouses working for the federal government to continue their careers when moved overseas.
The new memorandum of agreement, signed by Hicks and Verma at Wednesday’s ceremony at the White House, builds on the Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas program, allowing military spouses who are federal employees to do their jobs remotely from military-managed homes where their partner is stationed.
“That matters for military spouses who want to continue down their chosen career path. It matters for the economic well being of our military families,” Hicks said on Wednesday during remarks ahead of the first lady. “It matters for our ability to retain valuable talent and expertise in the federal workforce, and it matters for our national security.”
The move marks the implementation of a directive laid out in President Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order that seeks to bolster economic opportunity for military families. The first lady noted a “critical part” of Biden’s executive order is allowing military spouses to “take those jobs with them if they have to PCS overseas.”
“With today's agreement, we're making that a reality,” Biden said. “ It's common sense, it's simple and it’s long overdue.”
Verma noted the Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas program was created 15 years ago to give government employees flexibility, especially those facing the “unique challenges” that come with military life. He billed Wednesday’s announcement as an effort to “streamlining access to those flexibilities.”
As part of the agreement, the Department of Defense and the State Department will work together to streamline other processes — particularly related to housing — that the White House says will shorten an employee teleworking program approval process.
“Hand in hand with our colleagues from the Department of Defense, we have created an arrangement that allows our two agencies to collaborate on housing, specifically residential security and oversight,” Verma said.
More than 16,000 military, veteran and surviving spouses work for the federal government and overall, military spouses face a 21% unemployment rate, according to the White House.
Julie Heumphreus, a military spouse and federal employee, noted during Wednesday’s ceremony that the announcement is also a “win” for federal agencies who get to keep “experienced and valued employees” when they move overseas.
Heumphreus noted that she, her husband and three kids have moved 13 times over her 20 years of military service. Her family has a sign that reads ‘Home is wherever the army sends us,’ she told the crowd seated in the East Room.
Wednesday’s new efforts also come as part of the first lady’s Joining Forces initiative at the White House, focused on supporting military and veteran families.
Biden on Wednesday spoke about having conversations with military spouses who, despite appearing to have it all under control and being proud of their partner’s service, miss their own career and struggle to find work in new places.
“Application after application, she feels like her degrees and experience are going to waste,” Biden said.
She added that service members are often stressed about making ends meet with one income.
“When I brought these stories back to my husband, President Biden, he listened,” she said. “And then he took action. That’s what Joe does, he sees a problem and then he gets to work fixing it. He doesn’t waste any time.”