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Turner pushing bill to protect custody rights for military personnel

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By Jessica Wehrman, Staff Writer 7:21 PM Wednesday, July 29, 2009

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, who’s been pushing to pass a bill protecting the child custody rights of deployed military service personnel since 2007, brought the woman who inspired the bill to Capitol Hill Wednesday, July 29, in hopes of giving the provision the extra push it needs to become law.

Lt. Eva Slusher, a Kentucky National Guard member who lost custody of her daughter for about two years after returning home from a deployment, met with members of Congress including House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, to push the case for a Turner provision that would bar courts from permanently altering an existing custody agreement when a military parent is deployed.

The provision also bars courts from considering a military parent’s past deployment or future deployment as a basis for determining the best interest of the child in custody court cases.

Slusher, 38, was deployed to Ft. Knox, Ky., from 2003 to July 2004. When her deployment finished, Slusher called her ex-husband and told him she was ready to pick up their daughter. He told her she would need a court order to do so.

Slusher ultimately spent $25,000 and two years regaining custody of her daughter Sara, now 15.

Turner’s bill has passed the U.S. House of Representatives four times. But at least twice, the provision stalled in the U.S. Senate after the Defense Department opposed it. Among the opponents is U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who says states should define their own custody laws.

Slusher disagrees. She said military life often means moving from one state to another, and federal guidance is needed to help protect military service members’ custodial rights. She said she is “floored” that the “common-sense” measure has taken so long to pass.

Turner, R-Centerville, made it clear Wednesday he’s frustrated by the holdup. Earlier this year, he questioned Defense Secretary Robert Gates about the provision, and Gates promised to look into the Department’s objection. This year, the Defense Department has not publicly raised an objection.

“So many custody agreements are made with the idea that they are in the best interest of the child,” Turner said. “But it’s not in the best interest of the child to teach them that there’s something wrong with serving their country.”

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