Rehberg Sponsors Troop Pay Raise

Press Release

Montana's Congressman, Denny Rehberg, cosponsored legislation to increase military pay by 1.9%. The increase would help bridge the 2.4% gap between military pay raises and pay increases in the private sector. The very first bill Rehberg sponsored in Congress was a military pay raise.

"Montanans are rightfully proud of our men and women in the military, and fairly compensating them for their sacrifice is one of my top priorities," said Rehberg, a member of the Military Family Caucus. "And I will continue to vote to support our fighting men and women at home and abroad."

Congress has been successfully chipping away at the military-civilian pay gap over the past decade, reducing it from a height of 13.5% in 1999. The proposed 1.9% increase is a half-percent higher than the Department of Defense's proposed increase of 1.4%, the lowest pay raise since the creation of the volunteer army. The Military Officers Association of America and other veterans groups support the bill as a reasonable and necessary investment in our military that will improve morale and retention.

"It is essential that we support our active duty soldiers by providing them with this much deserved pay increase," said Jack Mitchell, Commander of the Department Of Montana American Legion "On behalf of the 13,000 members of the Montana American Legion, I want to thank Representative Rehberg for supporting this bill."

"Those serving in our armed forces deserve better pay," said Rehberg. "This pay raise is a way of thanking America's heroes for their sacrifice and ensuring they have the resources they need to provide for themselves and their families."

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