Five senators have added their support to Senate bill S 2617—introduced April 7 just before the Spring break—that would link the Pentagon’s planned Tricare fee hike for military retirees under age 65 to the annual percentage increase in retired pay. A similar bill in the House (HR 4949), which was introduced March 14 and has 138 cosponsors, would prohibit DOD from raising fees without Congressional approval. The sense of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle is that DOD must seek additional medical efficiencies and has asked for too large an increase in fees upfront.
Top Lawmakers Want 15 Percent Pay Raise for Enlisted Troops
April 19, 2024
A new law introduced by Congress would raise the pay rate 15 percent for junior enlisted troops and seek improvements on a range of quality of life issues, such as pay and compensation, child care, housing, health care access, and military spouse employment.