New Jersey Republican Congressman Chris Smith has requested House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to investigate allegations of National Guard troops receiving harmful food following reports of more than 30 members becoming sick during deployment in Washington.

Smith’s letter noted the problem in graphic detail, writing, “Some have even reported vomiting in the Senate parking lot. Alarmingly, the soldiers have noted receiving almost completely raw meat, some of which, according to press reports, even contained pieces of shaved metal.”

The Congressman requested both an investigation and for dismissal of the food service provider, stating,

Furthermore, the provision of this food, whether intentional or not, warrants a thorough investigation. The men and women deployed here from New Jersey and elsewhere to protect the Capitol deserve meals that are absolutely safe and healthful.

It is completely unacceptable that our men and women serving in Washington D.C. are being hospitalized due to the food they are being provided.

Democrat Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also addressed the issue with Acting Army Secretary John Whitley. “The health and wellbeing of our Michigan National Guard service members is paramount to their success as they continue to serve in missions in the United States and around the globe.”

According to ABC News, various Michigan National Guard members guarding the Capitol were also allegedly hospitalized after eating “undercooked,” “raw” and “moldy” meals. Claims of “metal shavings” in some food have also been made.

Approximately 5,000 National Guard members continue to serve in the Washington, D.C. area. Their safety, including what they eat, certainly impacts the safety of those they protect in the nation’s capital.

Our troops deserve our nation’s best, not its leftovers. Smith’s letter serves as an appropriate action to defend those who defend America.