House Passes Bill To 4x Annual Payments for Medal of Honor Recipients, Giving Trump Another Win
Legislation aimed at boosting pensions for Medal of Honor recipients by a factor of four was passed by the House on Wednesday with unanimous bipartisan support.
The measure sailed through with a vote of 424-0. If the Senate also gives its approval and the president signs it into law, the annual pension for these decorated veterans would jump from $16,880 to $67,500, according to Fox News.
Supporters of the bill — including Reps. Troy Nehls (R-TX) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) — say the pension hike would ease the financial strain many recipients face, especially as they often pay out of pocket to attend public events and speaking engagements around the country.
The pension increase would be covered through existing disability compensation funds from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To offset the cost, the legislation would also extend the limitation on pensions for veterans without spouses or dependents from 2031 to 2033, Fox added.
This change would affect the 60 living Medal of Honor recipients, out of the approximately 3,500 service members who have received the nation’s highest military honor since it was established in 1863.
The Medal of Honor pension program itself dates back to 1916, when honorees initially received $10 per month from the government. Over the decades, that amount gradually increased to $100 in 1961 and later $1,000 in 2002. The bill’s timing also coincides with the upcoming opening of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas next month — a facility designed to highlight the remarkable stories of American heroes who demonstrated extraordinary bravery in combat, Fox noted.
At this point, President Donald Trump has not yet presented the Medal of Honor during his second term, though veterans and members of Congress are urging him to bestow the award on Maj. James Capers, a Black Vietnam War veteran. Capers is hailed for his actions in 1967, when he saved seven fellow Marines after their team was ambushed by North Vietnamese troops in Phú Lộc.
According to sworn testimony from the Marines who survived, then-Lt. Capers and his squad came under attack deep in the jungle, where claymore mines inflicted severe injuries on him and his men. Despite a shattered leg and a torn-open stomach, Capers — bleeding heavily — refused to surrender command, Fox continued.
With help from two fellow Marines, Capers held off the enemy until a medevac flight could extract the team, ultimately ensuring the survival of his wounded comrades, as sworn testimony confirmed.
As the overloaded chopper struggled to lift off, Capers even tried to sacrifice himself, attempting to leap from the helicopter so the others could escape. The medevac crew chief, however, pulled him back on board.
During the battle, Capers was struck by multiple gunshots and 19 pieces of shrapnel, injuries that still leave physical reminders to this day. Despite the devastating wounds, his selfless actions ensured that all of his Marines survived, Fox added.
Meanwhile, over in the Senate, lawmakers rejected three proposed bills from far-left ‘independent’ Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, which sought to block $20 billion in American arms sales to Israel.
In an emotional address on the Senate floor, Sanders pleaded with his colleagues not to ignore the humanitarian crisis, accusing the U.S. of supporting “mass starvation.”
The resolutions, along with other proposed aid restrictions, aimed to halt the transfer of U.S. tank rounds and guidance kits that attach to the “bombs dropped in Gaza,” Sanders explained at a press briefing alongside 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 declared on the eve of the vote.