Joe Biden may have just cost himself the military vote.
A House bill that would offer significant pay raises to military members is set for a veto if it hits Joe Biden's desk, reported Fox News.
Our military members are horribly underpaid, some making less than $15 per hour to put their lives on the line for this country.
Not Happening
The bill, HR 4365, calls for a minimum salary of $15 per hour based on a 40-hour work week.
As an example, an E-1 with four months of service would receive a raise from $1,918 to $2,601 per month. An E-6, which is the equivalent of a Staff Sergeant in the Army, would go from $2,980 per month to $3,210.
The White House made no bones about what it would do if this legislation got to Joe's desk, stating, "If the president were presented with H.R. 4365, he would veto it."
So, Joe is willing to send billions to Ukraine, but, on this legislation stated, "concern for the needs of the nation's most junior enlisted members' compensation," but "strongly opposes making a significant, permanent change to the basic pay schedule."
Notice that language, "strongly opposes."
Military.com reported that the administration is now in review of compensation rates, but that review will not be completed until January 2025, so they expect our service member to wait another 15 months, then the time it would take to put a new pay scale in place, and I can guarantee you that it will not be the raise the GOP is trying to get service members.
I despise wasteful government spending, but you will never hear me complain about military equipment or salary spending, ever. But I sure as hell will complain when half our year's budget seems tagged to build equipment that will wind up in Ukraine, then we are dumping on our military.
To that very point, one of the other reasons given for the pushback is that the new pay scale "would create an unfunded requirement of several billion dollars."
So, I will tell you what… forget sending Ukraine all those jet fighters and tanks, and let's put that money to the men and women willing to shed blood for this country… problem solved.
