thedrifter
04-26-07, 01:59 PM
Lawmaker seeks bigger pay raise for troops
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 26, 2007 13:38:26 EDT
A Florida congressman wants to put a little extra money in the pockets of service members by proposing a minimum 3.5 percent raise next year.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee’s task force on veterans’ issues, is pushing for a bigger raise to continue closing the gap between military and private-sector wages, estimated to be about 4 percent today when comparing average military and private-sector wage growth over the past two decades.
The Bush administration has requested a 3 percent military pay raise for all ranks effective Jan. 1, assuming Congress goes along with the idea. That would match the average increase last year in private-sector wages, leaving the current pay gap unchanged.
Bilirakis said that isn’t enough.
“I believe it is unacceptable that we task these men and women with extraordinary responsibilities, especially during wartime, and cannot compensate them accordingly,” he said in a statement. “The debt we owe them for their sacrifices can never be repaid. However, my bill takes a small step in the right direction to show our appreciation for their valor.”
The issue of a gap between military and civilian pay exists has been a controversial issue over the years, with some — including Pentagon officials — saying that such a gap doesn’t even really exist. Officials say a combination of slightly larger military raises and adjustments in the military pay scales by ranks and years of service has resulted in wages today that are roughly comparable to the private sector.
Pentagon officials do not believe that current military pay levels are 4 percent behind the private sector, and don’t encourage such comparisons. Instead, their goal is to have military people at about the “70th percentile” of private-sector wages, meaning the average service member would make more than 70 percent of civilians with similar levels of experience and education. Defense and service officials have told Congress they finally achieved that goal with the military raises that took effect Jan. 1 and April 1.
Bilirakis’ bill, HR 2027, was referred to the House Armed Services Committee for consideration. The armed services subcommittee on military personnel, chaired by Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., is scheduled to decide next week what level of pay raise to recommend for the 2008 budget.
Snyder has not given any indication of what raise he will recommend, but committee sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they expect Snyder and the subcommittee will support the 3 percent raise requested by the Bush administration.
Cost is a major factor, aides said. Adding a modest half-percentage point to the basic pay increase would cost between $300 million and $500 million in 2008, depending on how many National Guard and reserve troops are mobilized and the success that the Army and Marine Corps have in growing their active-duty forces.
Ellie
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 26, 2007 13:38:26 EDT
A Florida congressman wants to put a little extra money in the pockets of service members by proposing a minimum 3.5 percent raise next year.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee’s task force on veterans’ issues, is pushing for a bigger raise to continue closing the gap between military and private-sector wages, estimated to be about 4 percent today when comparing average military and private-sector wage growth over the past two decades.
The Bush administration has requested a 3 percent military pay raise for all ranks effective Jan. 1, assuming Congress goes along with the idea. That would match the average increase last year in private-sector wages, leaving the current pay gap unchanged.
Bilirakis said that isn’t enough.
“I believe it is unacceptable that we task these men and women with extraordinary responsibilities, especially during wartime, and cannot compensate them accordingly,” he said in a statement. “The debt we owe them for their sacrifices can never be repaid. However, my bill takes a small step in the right direction to show our appreciation for their valor.”
The issue of a gap between military and civilian pay exists has been a controversial issue over the years, with some — including Pentagon officials — saying that such a gap doesn’t even really exist. Officials say a combination of slightly larger military raises and adjustments in the military pay scales by ranks and years of service has resulted in wages today that are roughly comparable to the private sector.
Pentagon officials do not believe that current military pay levels are 4 percent behind the private sector, and don’t encourage such comparisons. Instead, their goal is to have military people at about the “70th percentile” of private-sector wages, meaning the average service member would make more than 70 percent of civilians with similar levels of experience and education. Defense and service officials have told Congress they finally achieved that goal with the military raises that took effect Jan. 1 and April 1.
Bilirakis’ bill, HR 2027, was referred to the House Armed Services Committee for consideration. The armed services subcommittee on military personnel, chaired by Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., is scheduled to decide next week what level of pay raise to recommend for the 2008 budget.
Snyder has not given any indication of what raise he will recommend, but committee sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they expect Snyder and the subcommittee will support the 3 percent raise requested by the Bush administration.
Cost is a major factor, aides said. Adding a modest half-percentage point to the basic pay increase would cost between $300 million and $500 million in 2008, depending on how many National Guard and reserve troops are mobilized and the success that the Army and Marine Corps have in growing their active-duty forces.
Ellie