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Congressman Jerry McNerney's Efforts to Increase Pay for Troops in Combat Zones Pass the House with Bipartisan Support

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Congressman Jerry McNerney's (CA-11) provisions to increase pay for service members in combat zones passed the House with bipartisan support as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These increases will benefit approximately 400,000 service members and their families per month. Congressman McNerney's efforts were driven by his experiences meeting with soldiers in Afghanistan who shared their struggles to make ends meet for their families back home.

Key Takeaways:

  • Congressman Jerry McNerney introduced H.R. 4440, the COMBAT Act, to increase pay for service members, which included provisions to increase Hostile Fire Pay (HFP), Imminent Danger Pay (IDP), and Family Separation Allowance (FSA).
  • The COMBAT Act aimed to address the struggles of service members in making ends meet for their families, with Congressman McNerney sharing the concerns of a paratrooper who expressed difficulty in providing for his family back home.
  • After introducing the COMBAT Act, Congressman McNerney worked closely with Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Ike Skelton to incorporate key provisions into the NDAA.
  • The implemented provisions in the NDAA include increasing HFP and IDP to $260 per month and FSA to $285 per month, benefiting approximately 400,000 service members and their families per month.
  • A formal request made via letter to Chairman Skelton and direct personal advocacy with the House Armed Services Committee helped Congressman McNerney successfully lead the charge to increase certain types of military pay.
  • Chairman Skelton, representatives of Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW), the National Military Family Association, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart recognized Congressman McNerney for his leadership in addressing the needs of service members and their families.

Statistics:

  • 400,000 service members and their families per month will be benefited by the increases in HFP, IDP, and FSA.
  • Hostile Fire Pay (HFP) will increase from $225 to $260 per month.
  • Imminent Danger Pay (IDP) will increase from $225 to $260 per month.
  • Family Separation Allowance (FSA) will increase from $250 to $285 per month.

Sources:

  • Congressman Jerry McNerney's office
  • Congressional Research Service
  • Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Ike Skelton
  • Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW)
  • National Military Family Association
  • Military Order of the Purple Heart

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