House Passes Bill To 4x Annual Payments for Medal of Honor Recipients, Giving Trump Another Win
A new piece of legislation received unanimous bipartisan support in the House this week, aiming to significantly increase the annual pensions for Medal of Honor recipients—quadrupling the amount.
The measure sailed through with a vote of 424-0. If it clears the Senate and receives the president’s signature, the pension would jump from $16,880 to $67,500 annually.
Backers of the bill, including Representatives Troy Nehls (R-TX) and Chris Pappas (D-NH), believe the hike would relieve financial burdens for Medal of Honor recipients, many of whom travel across the nation to attend events and give speeches—often covering the costs themselves.
Funding for the increase would come from the Department of Veterans Affairs via disability compensation. To help balance the increased cost, the bill also proposes to push back the current limitation on pensions for veterans without dependents from 2031 to 2033, according to Fox News.
Only 60 Medal of Honor recipients are still alive today, although roughly 3,500 individuals have received the nation's highest military distinction since its inception in 1863.
The Medal of Honor pension program began in 1916, originally awarding $10 per month. That amount was raised to $100 in 1961 and again to $1,000 in 2002. The latest proposed increase comes just as the National Medal of Honor Museum prepares to open next month in Arlington, Texas. The museum will spotlight the remarkable courage of those who have earned the award, as reported by Fox.
Former President Donald Trump has not yet awarded the Medal of Honor during his second term, though there is growing advocacy from both veterans and lawmakers urging him to honor Maj. James Capers, a Vietnam War veteran and trailblazing Black Marine.
Capers is praised for his heroic actions during a 1967 ambush in Phú Lộc, where he saved seven fellow Marines from a deadly attack by North Vietnamese forces.
Eyewitness testimony from Marines who survived the attack details how then-Lt. Capers and his unit were caught in a brutal ambush. Despite suffering severe injuries—including a shattered leg and a torn abdomen—Capers continued leading his men under fire, according to sworn accounts.
With the help of two Marines, he managed to fend off the enemy long enough for a medevac to reach them. His determination helped save his team, according to those same accounts.
In a final act of courage, Capers attempted to exit the overloaded helicopter to make room for others, insisting on being left behind. A medevac crew chief pulled him back aboard just in time.
Capers sustained several gunshot wounds and carries 19 pieces of shrapnel to this day. Despite his injuries, his bravery ensured every member of his unit made it out alive, Fox noted.
In a separate development, the U.S. Senate recently voted against three proposals by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), which aimed to block around $20 billion in U.S. arms sales to Israel.
During a forceful address on the Senate floor, Sanders urged his colleagues not to turn a blind eye to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, calling attention to America's support for what he described as “mass starvation.”
The resolutions, which also sought to halt the delivery of tank rounds and “guidance kits” used with the “bombs dropped in Gaza,” were supported at a press conference by 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 ahead of the final vote.