LITHIA, Fla. — Rachael Booth and her 3-year-old daughter are safe. That's what's most important. Booth said it took one time and she was out.
She said her ex-husband was a member of the U.S. Air Force, and a few years ago, the newlyweds moved to a base in North Dakota.
Booth said, at first, her ex-husband started abusing alcohol and getting violent but never towards her. The military got involved and mandated him to get help. Booth said he was doing great until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and required meetings and check-ins went away.
"He took that as I can party now because they won’t be checking up on me," said Booth.
Not long after, Booth said he came home one night and turned violent towards her when she was in bed breastfeeding the couple's daughter.
"He had started beating down a door, my daughter was crying at the top of her lungs. We were both scared," she recalled.
Booth left that night. She said she went to a friend's house on base and booked a flight back to Florida to be with her mom. That's where she and her daughter have been ever since.
"I knew we had to get out and I had to put her first," said Booth, who is now working full time trying to get back on her feet.
She thought she'd be eligible for transitional compensation (TC), which is money the military offers to people who have suffered domestic abuse at the hands of a U.S. military service member.
Under the current rules, dependents can apply for TC to help them gain financial independence after their service member is discharged from the military in a domestic abuse case. But, there's a hole in the law. If a service member gets convicted of domestic abuse in a civilian court but then technically gets discharged for something else, it leads to a lengthy process for the spouse or other survivor of abuse.
"They would laugh if I even applied for it. That’s when I contacted Senator Rubio," said Booth, who was dealing with a victim's advocate in the aftermath of the incident.
About a year later, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan are now backing a bill that would make people like Rachael Booth immediately eligible for compensation.
Rachael and her mom, Kathryn Krajewski, said they're advocating for this legislation for the people who don't have a family to fall back on. Rachael didn't hesitate to call her mom when she was battered and bruised. Many don't have that.
"They’re stuck, there’s nothing they can do," said Krajewski.
Becoming eligible to receive compensation is step one, but Rachael doesn't expect the payments to come through for another one to four years after she's approved.
"I can’t afford a house or an apartment for my daughter and I to be safe," she said.
In the meantime, she's hoping awareness and advocacy make getting out a little easier for the next military spouse.
"We’re really blessed I had my mom who took us in."