Legislation passed the House with unanimous bipartisan support this week that will increase the pensions of Medal of Honor recipients by four times.
The bill easily passed 424-0. If approved by the Senate and signed into law by the president, it would raise the annual pension for Medal of Honor recipients from $16,880 to $67,500.
The bill’s supporters, including Reps. Troy Nehls (R-TX) and Chris Pappas (D-NH), argue that the increase would help ease the financial strain for recipients who often travel across the country for speaking engagements at their own expense.
Veterans’ Affairs funding will fund the increased pensions through disability compensation. To offset the cost of the pay increase, the bill extends the limitation on pensions for veterans without spouses or dependents from 2031 to 2033, Fox added.
The legislation would benefit the 60 living Medal of Honor recipients, with approximately 3,500 individuals having received the prestigious award since it was first established in 1863.
The pension program for Medal of Honor recipients was introduced in 1916, with the recipients initially receiving $10 per month from the federal government. Over the years, the stipend increased to $100 in 1961 and $1,000 in 2002. The bill is introduced at a time when the National Medal of Honor Museum is set to open in Arlington, Texas, next month. It is dedicated to sharing the stories of American heroes who displayed extraordinary bravery in battle, Fox noted.
President Donald Trump has yet to award the Medal of Honor in his second term, though veterans and members of Congress are advocating for him to award it to Maj. James Capers, a Black Vietnam War veteran. Capers is recognized for saving seven fellow Marines during an ambush by North Vietnamese troops in Phú Lộc in 1967.
According to sworn testimony from the surviving Marines, then-Lt. Capers and his unit were ambushed deep in the jungle, where devastating blasts from claymore mines inflicted severe injuries on him and his men. Despite suffering a shattered leg and a torn-open stomach, Capers, bleeding heavily, refused to surrender command, Fox continued.
Alongside two fellow Marines, he held off the enemy long enough for a medevac flight to arrive, ensuring the survival of his wounded comrades, according to the sworn testimony.
As the overloaded aircraft struggled to take off, Capers tried to sacrifice himself, attempting to jump from the helicopter and insisting that he be left behind so his men could escape. However, he was pulled back on board by the medevac crew chief.
During the firefight, Capers sustained multiple gunshot wounds and 19 pieces of shrapnel. He still carries the physical scars of that day. Despite his own severe injuries, his selfless actions ensured that all of his Marines survived, Fox added.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate voted down three bills by far-left ‘independent’ Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont that would have stopped American arms sales to Israel worth about $20 billion.
During a passionate speech on the Senate floor, Sanders made a final plea to senators, urging them not to ignore the humanitarian crisis and the U.S.’s support for “mass starvation.”
Along with other military aid, the three resolutions tried to stop the transfer of U.S. tank rounds and guidance kits attached to the “bombs dropped in Gaza” to Israel, Sanders said at a news conference on with fellow Sens. Peter Welch, Chris Van Hollen, and Jeff Merkley.
“The United States government is currently in violation of the law, and every member of the U.S. Senate who believes in the rule of law should vote for the resolutions,” Sanders said the day before the vote.