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June 29, 2005
 
Rahall Votes to Secure Pay Raise for Troops
 
by HNN Staff
from Rahall Press Release
 
Washington, D.C. (HNN) - U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) voted to secure funding to provide a 3.1 percent pay raise to every American soldier on Monday, June 20, 2005. "Our troops, these young men and women who are on the other side of the world risking their lives, deserve this pay increase and I am happy to help provide them with it," said Rahall.
 
The pay raise was included in the Defense Appropriations bill that sets the budget for the Department of Defense. This is Rahall's most recent action in his ongoing support for troops. Rahall and the Democrats in Congress recently introduced the New G.I. Bill of Rights for the 21st Century, which would provide additional support to the members of the military and their families.
 
"Ensuring our troops have enough money to take care of their families is a no-brainer," said Rahall. "This pay raise will help every service member, but there is much more we can do. Earlier this year, we tried to pass legislation to help our troops further, but it failed to pass. In the wake of that effort I have introduced, along with my colleagues, a comprehensive new G.I. Bill of Rights. This bill, if passed, will truly support our troops and I am urging every Member of Congress to make this legislation a top priority."
 
Rahall was referring to an amendment in which he and U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) supported. The amendment would have increased group life insurance for service members and created pay raises for senior enlisted servicemembers, among other initiatives. Unfortunately, the amendment was rejected by the majority and failed on a recorded vote. The New GI Bill would improve benefits for our men and women in uniform today and provide long overdue benefits for the veterans and military retirees who have already served. It would bolster our support for our troops, as well as their families here at home, through improved health care and benefits. Further, there are special provisions for the National Guard and Reserve, as their service in Iraq and Afghanistan has been above the call of duty. It would provide better education, health care and job training benefits for those who have answered the calls of our Nation. Rahall said, "Those who have answered the call to duty should be able to rely on the promises of the Nation for which they fought. We must live up to our promise and provide needed health care benefits to our returning veterans."
 
This comes after the news last week that the Veterans Administration asked for a budget that was $1 billion short for their health care funding. The Veterans Administration was forced to transfer money from maintenance, repairs and equipment accounts and move money that was intended for use in 2006 into the 2005 column.
 
This shortfall comes after the American Legion and other Veterans groups expressed outrage that the President's budget for 2006 did not sufficiently fund the Veterans Administration. Democrats, with the New GI Bill and other legislation, have attempted to raise funding levels for veterans and Rahall was quick to say that he will continue to fight for our veterans to ensure the funding levels are sufficient.
 
For our troops, the package would modernize and enhance the GI Bill - providing the full cost for college or job training, instead of only 65 percent for those serving four years of active duty. These provisions help our returning soldiers become a productive part of a prosperous economy, and also provide an important recruiting tool to encourage new soldiers to sign up. It also includes provisions to ensure our troops have the equipment they need to do their jobs, and it would provide a $1,000 bonus to the nearly 1 million Americans who have served in imminent danger in Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Afghanistan.
 
"This legislation is the real support for our troops, for our veterans and for everyone who has helped to protect our great Nation," said Rahall. "As a cosponsor of the bill, I am urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to cosponsor the bill and I urge all West Virginians to become citizen cosponsors as well!"
 
The House Democrats have set up a website where Americans can become "citizen cosponsors" of the bill, to show Congress how united our Nation is behind our troops and helping to ensure they have the services they deserve. To become a citizen cosponsor you can visit: http://democrats.house.gov/news/librarydetail.cfm?library_content_id=431