Graves: Bill gives our troops biggest pay increase in eight years

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

It's easy to praise the work our military men and women do. We can talk about how grateful we are for those who defend our freedoms, or how we owe it to them to provide every resource possible in return for their sacrifices.

But without action, all that talk is just talk. And when people in Congress or the White House don't appreciate how important the U.S. military is for global security, it has significant - and dangerous - consequences across the world.

As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am fortunate to have a role in shaping our national defense policy. And last week I helped pass H.R. 2810, which gives our troops their largest pay raise in eight years and boosts defense spending by 10 percent over last year’s levels. It passed the House by a bipartisan margin of 344-81.

In addition to the troop pay raise, H.R. 2810 complies with the Army, Navy, and Air Force’s requests for thousands of additional personnel, and increases missile defense funding by $2.5 billion. It also includes my request to secure modernization of the Air National Guard’s C-130H fleet.

The C-130H is such an important aircraft to our military, and serves as a force multiplier to active duty, reserve and guard units across the world. It is often on the front lines of combat, protecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans, and it also serves vital humanitarian purposes throughout the globe.

Providing for our national defense is the primary responsibility of the federal government - and it’s always been my top priority in Congress. I’m happy to have helped pass a bill that strengthens our military while ensuring our troops get the treatment and pay they deserve, and I look forward to seeing these policies signed into law by the President in the coming months.