News release
Rep. Mike Garcia introduced a new bill, the Prioritizing Troops Over Tax Collectors Act, to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill, if signed into law, would reallocate the $80 billion appropriated to the Internal Revenue Service in the Inflation Reduction Act to instead go toward a military service member pay raise. The bill would guarantee that every service member makes at least $15 an hour ($31,200 annually).
Garcia issued the following statement after introducing the bill:
“Twenty-three thousand service members rely on food stamps,” Garcia’s statement said. “That is 23,000 too many. Providing our military personnel with an adequate base pay raise should be common sense. My bill will do just that by ensuring that each of our heroes in uniform is paid a minimum of $31,200 annually.
“These service members put their lives on the line for our country. They should be paid adequately for their service. Our service members are our nation’s secret weapon and it’s time we treat them as such,” said Garcia. “As we see record-low military retention rates and growing recruiting shortfalls, this is an urgent issue that impacts not just the well-being of our brave heroes, but also our national security.”
