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Lawmaker pushes 3.9% military raise in 2009

A Republican lawmaker assigned by his party to work on military and veterans’ issues has become the first member of Congress to introduce legislation providing a bigger pay raise to troops in 2009 than proposed by the Bush administration.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and chairman of the veterans’ affairs task force of the House Republican Policy Committee, introduced a bill on Monday to provide a minimum 3.9 percent increase in basic pay and drill pay for reservists.

The Bush administration is asking for a 3.4 percent pay increase for the military, an amount that equals the average private-sector pay increase last year. Bilirakis wants slightly more, to continue closing the gap that grew between military and private-sector pay in the 1990s, when military raises lagged those of non-government workers.

“It is critical for the continued growth and morale of our armed forces that we work toward improving the existing military and private sector pay gap,” Bilirakis said in a statement. “While I applaud the administration’s efforts to boost military pay, I believe we can and should do better.”

Bilirakis’ pay raise bill, HR 5481, was referred to the House Armed Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over military pay and benefits. The armed services subcommittee on military personnel held a hearing Tuesday on recruiting, retention and compensation for service members, but the pay raise received only a passing mention.

David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said average basic pay has increased by 32 percent and housing allowances by almost 70 percent since 2001, along with increases in hardship duty pay, Servicemember’s Group Life Insurance, death gratuity and other benefits.

The Bush administration “continues its strong commitment to provide a secure standard of living to those who service in uniform by requiring a 3.4 percent increase in military pay for all service members,” Chu said.

Congressional aides, speaking on the condition of not being identified because they are not authorized to speak to the press, said Bilirakis’ introduction of a bill to provide a bigger raise is an early sign there will be bipartisan support for a bigger pay increase if money can be found to cover the cost. The extra 0.5 percentage point adds about $300 million to the Pentagon’s payroll costs, and the price would be even higher if lawmakers decide to also provide the bigger pay increase to federal civilian workers. The Bush administration has proposed a 2.9 percent federal raise.

The fate of the raise won’t be decided for months because lawmakers are just at the initial stages of the budget process, beginning to consider how much money should be allocated to various federal agencies. Work on writing specific budgets cannot begin until an overall guide, known as a budget resolution, is approved.

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