Based Underground is now a conservative news aggregator AND curated newsletter.
(DCNF)—The Biden administration “strongly opposes” a proposal to raise the pay of junior enlisted service members in the military — even after nearly spending seven times the proposed amount on Ukraine and the broader region’s security.
The House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) draft of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would give all junior troops a pay raise, representing a rough total of $24.4 billion over five years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Biden administration said in a statement on Tuesday that it does not support the proposed “significant, permanent” pay hike until it has had a chance to conduct a compensation review.
“The Administration is strongly committed to taking care of our Servicemembers and their families, and appreciates the Committee’s concern for the needs of the most junior enlisted members, but strongly opposes making a significant, permanent change to the basic pay schedule before the completion of the Fourteenth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation,” the White House budget office said.
The Biden administration has spent over $175 billion on aid to Ukraine and European security since 2022 — roughly one-seventh of the proposed pay hike for the junior troops, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The $175 billion amount is broken into several packages over the course of two years, including the most recent aid package of $61 billion in April.
“When accounting for inflation, the average American makes less today than when Joe Biden took office. The White House wants to block Republicans from giving our troops the raise they need to make ends meet in the Biden economy,” Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, a HASC member, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Meanwhile, they’ve sent the Ukrainian government $11,500 per Ukrainian household. It’s shameful.”
Bipartisan members of the HASC promoted the pay increase for junior troops as a way to improve recruiting and retention, a problem that the military has increasingly struggled with. A year-long study conducted by the HASC and published in April found that “servicemembers, especially junior enlisted servicemembers and servicemembers supporting large families, struggle to afford housing and feed their families.”
Take control of your family’s food security with a Harvest Right freeze dryer. There’s a big sale happening right now….
No servicemember should ever struggle to feed their family or afford housing.
The FY25 #NDAA will boost servicemember compensation w/ a 15% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers, expand allowances for housing & food, & improve the cost of living calculation. pic.twitter.com/X3Hmw4mH66
— Armed Services GOP (@HASCRepublicans) April 11, 2024
The pay level for junior troops has failed to remain competitive with the civilian job market, especially with rising inflation, the study found. Junior troops received smaller pay raises than senior servicemembers — or no raise at all — in eight of the last 40 years.
“Joe Biden must hate our military,” Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, also on the committee, told the DCNF. “While families of our junior enlisted struggle on food stamps, this administration opposes their pay raises and wants to force-feed them pronoun training and drag queen story hour. If Biden had any PRIDE at all in our troops, he’d support the long overdue pay raise House Republicans have passed.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
Confirmed: The Haitian Invaders Are Eating Geese in Ohio
by Townhall
Springfield, Ohio, is now on the frontlines of the immigration wars. The city, awash with tens of thousands of Haitian migrants, has become the center of national attention after stories of pets, geese, and ducks. It’s triggered liberals to no end, with CNN hosts and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) blowing…
“I Was Duped by the Media”: Bishop Apologizes for Closing Churches During Covid
by Caldron Pool
“I was duped by the media hype and should have been stronger.” A US Catholic Bishop has apologized for closing churches during COVID, admitting he was “duped by the media.” Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, made the admission on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week, in response to a…
Another Top NYC Official With Ties to NYPD, Eric Adams Accused of Chinese Spying
by Headline USA
A little over a week after a former top aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was arrested for spying on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, another New York government employee was found to have close ties to the CCP. Lin Gui’an, the assistant director of the New York…
Late-Term Abortion: 5 Facts Harris, Liberal Media Want to Conceal
by Melanie Israel, DeVos Center
(Daily Signal)—Predictably, the issue of abortion was one of the first to come up during Tuesday night’s presidential debate on ABC. And predictably, both the moderators and Vice President Kamala Harris wouldn’t let pesky facts get in the way of their shared agenda. Harris refused to identify a single limit on abortion…
Faith-Driven Gold IRA Company Reveals Three Secrets About Americans’ Retirement
by Sponsored Post
The precious metals industry has developed a rough reputation over the last couple of years, especially as it pertains to retirement accounts. With all of the angst many Americans are feeling about the economy, gold companies have pounced on the opportunity to take advantage of people’s fears. One company stands…
Father of Boy Killed by Haitian in Springfield Says He Wishes Son ‘Was Killed by 60-Year-Old White Man’
by Daily Wire
The father of an 11-year-old boy who was killed by a Haitian immigrant in Springfield, Ohio, said during a city commission meeting on Tuesday that he wishes his son was instead killed by an “old white man.” Aiden Clark was killed in August 2023, when a Haitian immigrant, Hermanio Joseph,…
LA Times Reporter Reveals ‘Climate Anxiety’ and Calls to ‘Fix Individualism’ to Save the Planet
by Free Beacon
The Los Angeles Times published a sprawling essay Wednesday written by environmental reporter Rosanna Xia, who expressed overwhelming grief about the prospect of climate change and called to “fix individualism” and “reimagine” society’s “systems” to address climate change. “How do you cope? I feel the sorrow, the quiet plea for…
DOJ Immigration Attorney: Biden Has Authority to End Illegal Immigration, but Democrat Megadonors Control Border Agenda
by The Gateway Pundit
Christian Cooper, a Special Assistant on Immigration Litigation U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Department of Justice said on undercover video: Joe Biden has the authority to end illegal immigration but Democrat megadonors control the immigration agenda. “We’re Completely Controlled by Special Interests Above,” Christian Cooper said. Per Project Veritas: President…
Iran Wants China-Led BRICS to Create a New World ‘Security Structure’
by Breitbart
Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary-general of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) of Iran, on Wednesday called for the China-dominated BRICS economic group to create “a new security structure in the international arena to help the order and security of the future world.” Speaking at a BRICS forum in St. Petersburg,…
Chemtrails Are No Longer a “Conspiracy Theory” as Globalists Openly Call It an Essential Part of Their Battle Against “Climate Change”
by S.D. Wells, Natural News
(Natural News)—The Communist-Democrat politicians in Washington DC and their globalist cohorts are engaged in a multi-faceted agenda rooted in profound deceit. Using extreme censorship of anyone who questions their agenda, they’ve (literally) gotten away with murder using schemes, plots and propaganda to further their goals of obtaining complete control of…
Crowd Backs Trump as He Comes Face-to-Face with Kamala Harris at 9/11 Memorial
by Western Journal
As dignitaries gathered for this year’s Ground Zero memorial service to honor those killed in the 9/11 attacks and remind American of the cost of terrorism, one man stood out for the New York City crowd. “Donald!” voices in the crowd began calling as former President Donald Trump was spotted…
Judge Dismisses Georgia Election Official’s Plea for Protection to Do Her Job After Dem Lawfare Threats
by The Federalist
A Georgia judge dismissed a plea from a Fulton County election official who asked the court to confirm she is not obligated to rubber-stamp election results after Democrats threatened her with criminal charges. Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections (FCBRE) member Julie Adams filed a suit in May seeking…
“Our Town Is a Time Bomb” – Springfield Locals on the Haitian Crisis Destroying Their City
by Infowars
Turning Point USA’s “Frontlines” journalists hit the streets of Springfield, Ohio, to learn more about the story taking the nation by storm and causing Americans to debate the illegal immigration emergency. 20,000 Haitian “migrants” have flooded the small town of around 58,000 people since the Biden-Harris administration started flying them…
Russia Says It Could “Combine” With China if They Faced a Threat
by End Times Headlines
Russia said on Wednesday that its partnership with China was not aimed against third countries but the two powers could “combine potential” if faced with a threat from the United States. “I would like to remind you that Moscow and Beijing will respond to ‘double containment’ by the United States…
Comrade Kamala Embraced Fossil Fuels on the Debate Stage, but What Does Her Record Say?
by NIck Pope, Daily Caller News Foundation
(DCNF)—Vice President Kamala Harris purported to be in favor of fossil fuels on the debate stage on Tuesday night, but several of her talking points lacked key context or were contradicted by her record in the Biden administration. The vice president reiterated on the debate stage that she no longer…
Time Magazine Forced to Make Huge Retraction After Spewing Debate Lie
by Trending Politics
Time Magazine has been forced to issue a public retraction following the publication of a highly contentious statement mischaracterizing a claim made by former President Donald Trump during Tuesday night’s debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. The statement, which accused Trump of fabricating an assertion about Harris supporting taxpayer-funded transgender…
