Garcia calls for larger pay raise for military service members

Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, recently delivered remarks on the House floor advocating for a higher pay raise for U.S. military service members within the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (FY2022 NDAA). The legislation calls for a 2.7% pay increase. That increase, Garcia said, still leaves military service members below the poverty line. 
 
“When considering the 2.7% pay increase included in the FY2022 NDAA, we must realize that this would still leave many service members below the $15 minimum that I advocated for in July. Not to mention that the 2.7% pay increase actually falls below the current inflation rate, so they are actually losing ground relative to current prices. It also fails to keep our service members’ pay at pace with their civilian counterparts’ pay,” said Garcia in his floor remarks. 
 
Earlier this year, Garcia offered an amendment at the House Appropriations Committee markup on the FY2022 Defense Appropriations bill that would have ensured all service members make at least $15 an hour. While his amendment was not included in the final bill, he secured a commitment from Defense Subcommittee Chairwoman Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, that she would create a working group to find a way to address the necessary military pay raise in negotiations with the Senate.