Proposal to guarantee minimum-wage salaries for all troops fizzles
Leo Shane III
House appropriators won’t guarantee minimum wage salaries for all service members, but they are looking into the idea.
On Tuesday, during the House Appropriations Committee’s mark-up of the fiscal 2022 defense budget bill, Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., proposed adding language to the measure that would ensure all troops receive a base pay of at least $31,200 a year, roughly the equivalent of $15 an hour.
“It’s an insult to our military members and their families that they have to serve approximately three years and gain the rank of E4 before they’re at or above what many states consider to be minimum wage,” Garcia said.
“And that assumes they’re working 40 hours a week, which we know most of our junior enlisted members are actually not. They’re usually working anywhere from 50 to 60 hours a week.”
https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/mil-money/2021/07/15/proposal-to-guarantee-minimum-wage-salaries-for-all-troops-fizzles/
