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Biden Shoots Down Effort To Give U.S. Troops A Pay Raise

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6 months ago

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The Biden administration has shot down a proposal aimed at increasing pay for U.S. troops, citing budgetary constraints and other pressing defense needs. The decision, embedded within the context of the proposed H.R. 8070 bill, has left many service members and advocates for military personnel disheartened and vocal about their discontent.

The bill, titled the “Service-member Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025,” aimed to authorize appropriations totaling $884.9 billion for the next fiscal year, with significant portions allocated for various military functions and defense activities. However, despite these substantial appropriations, the provision to increase troop pay did not receive the endorsement of the administration.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), H.R. 8070 would authorize $883.7 billion for military functions and $1.2 billion for non-defense activities in 2025. The bill prescribed personnel levels for active-duty and selected-reserve components and extended various bonuses and allowances to military personnel. It also changed compensation and health care benefits for military personnel and their families, which were points of significant attention during its drafting.

One of the notable provisions of the bill was a proposed increase in monthly basic pay for junior enlisted members of the uniformed services. The CBO estimated that implementing this increase would cost $24.4 billion over the 2025-2029 period. Specifically, pay for enlisted members in pay grade E-5 with less than 10 years of service would increase by an average of 7 percent, while pay for grades E-1 to E-4 would see a more substantial increase of 15 percent.

Despite these projections, the Biden administration deemed the proposed pay raise fiscally unfeasible under the current budgetary constraints. “The $883.7 billion authorized by H.R. 8070 for defense programs in 2025 is less than the $895.2 billion discretionary funding cap for defense programs specified in section 101 of Public Law 118-5, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023,” notes the CBO report.

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The decision has drawn criticism from various quarters. Military advocates argue that the pay raise is crucial for maintaining morale and ensuring that service members are adequately compensated for their sacrifices.

“Joe Biden must hate our military,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told the Daily Caller. “While families of our junior enlisted struggle on food stamps, this administration opposes their pay raises and wants to force-feed them pronoun training and drag queen story hour. If Biden had any PRIDE at all in our troops, he’d support the long overdue pay raise House Republicans have passed.”

Despite not having sufficient funds to increase pay for the troops, the Biden administration has significantly increased U.S. aid to Ukraine. This includes military aid like weapons and training, with the U.S. committing approximately $44.2 billion in security aid according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

In addition to military aid, the U.S. has provided around $22.9 billion in direct financial support to help sustain the Ukrainian government and its public services during the war. There’s also an allocation of $2.3 billion for humanitarian efforts to assist those affected by the conflict, including refugees and displaced individuals​. This encompasses support for energy, governance, and agricultural sectors among others.

Overall, Congress has passed several aid packages that amount to over $113 billion. Significant portions are spent within the U.S. or on related international activities.

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