House Passes Nehls’ Bill to Increase Pension for Medal of Honor Recipients
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) announced that his bill, H.R. 695, the Medal of Honor Act, passed the United States House of Representatives unanimously. Congressman Chris Pappas joined Congressman Nehls in introducing this bill in the 118th and 119th Congress.
Medal of Honor Recipients receive a special pension of $16,880.76 annually, or just $1,406.73 per month. The Medal of Honor Act would increase this pension to around $67,500 annually, a nearly fourfold increase, and is fully offset.
“Our nation’s Medal of Honor recipients are brave heroes who went above and beyond the call of duty in service to our great country,” said Congressman Nehls. “My bill, the Medal of Honor Act, would ease the financial burdens of the 63 living Medal of Honor recipients and their families. Increasing the special pension for our nation’s Medal of Honor recipients is the least Congress can do to honor their bravery, valor, and selflessness. The Senate should pass my bill immediately so it can be signed into law. Let’s get it done.”
“The Medal of Honor is our nation’s highest military decoration,” said Congressman Pappas. “It symbolizes the valor the distinguished men and women of our military displayed in extraordinary moments. It is our responsibility as Americans to ensure that all our service members and veterans are honored both during and after their service, and one way we can do that is by ensuring all of our Medal of Honor recipients are financially secure after their military service is over. I was glad to partner with Congressman Nehls to introduce this legislation, and am thrilled to see it now pass the House. I hope the Senate will bring it to the floor without delay so we can keep our promise to our service members and veterans.”
BACKGROUND
The Medal of Honor is the United States’ highest military award. Army Private Jacob Parrott was given the first Medal of Honor in 1863. Since then, there have been over 3,515 Medal of Honor Recipients, with 63 currently living.
On April 27, 1916, Congress passed legislation that created the Army and Navy Medal of Honor Roll and entitled Medal of Honor recipients to a special pension of $10 per month for life. In 1961, Congress increased the monthly pension from $10 to $100. The most recent congressional pension raise was in 2002 when it was raised to $1,000 per month.
Without any cost-of-living adjustments, the current base rate for the Medal of Honor pension is $ 1,406.73 per month. Eligibility for this pension is based solely on receipt of the Medal of Honor and is paid to any eligible individuals who elect to receive it. Receipt of this special pension does not reduce any other benefits under U.S. law. The program is smaller than the Veterans Pension and Survivors Pension programs, as there are fewer than 70 living Medal of Honor recipients.
The Medal of Honor Act is cosponsored by Representatives Lauren Boebert (R-CO-04), Monica De La Cruz (R-TX-15), and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02).
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced companion legislation in the United States Senate.