Reps. Troy E. Nehls and Chris Pappas Reintroduce the Medal of Honor Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) and Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) reintroduced the Medal of Honor Act, a bill that would increase the monthly pension for Medal of Honor Recipients to $100,000 annually. Medal of Honor Recipients currently receive only $1,489.73 per month.
The first Medal of Honor was given in 1863 to Army Private Jacob Parrott. Since then, there have been 3,535 Medal of Honor recipients, with 64 currently living. In 1916, Congress created a special pension for recipients of $10 per month for life. In 1961, Congress raised the monthly payment from $10 to $100. The last congressional pension raise was in 2002 when the pension was raised to $1,000 per month. As of December 1, 2021, the Medal of Honor pension is set at $1,489.37 per month, without cost-of-living adjustments. If enacted into law, this bill will be the first congressional pension raise for Medal of Honor Recipients since 2002.
“The Medal of Honor represents the highest and most prestigious military decoration of the United States,” said Congressman Nehls. “The men and woman who have earned this honor have gone above and beyond the call of duty in sacrifice to their nation. Many of these courageous individuals paid the ultimate sacrifice for our great country and only 64 of these heroes are still alive today. I am proudly reintroducing the Medal of Honor Act with my Democratic colleague, Rep. Chris Pappas, to increase the special monthly pension that Medal of Honor Recipients receive to ease financial burdens that they face. This bill is a small step forward, but is the least that we, as Congress, can do to show our support for our selfless heroes and begin the broader dialogue to ensure all our veterans, and their families, receive the care and resources they need.”
“Medal of Honor recipients are distinguished for their bravery in service to our country and deserve the utmost respect as recipients of our nation’s highest military award. We must continue to honor service members who have earned the Medal of Honor after their military service is over by ensuring they are financially secure,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “This bipartisan legislation will help keep our promise to our service members and veterans, and I thank Congressman Nehls for partnering with me on this important bipartisan legislation.