Does our president absolutely hate the military? That appears to be the case.
Because Biden just flipped his middle finger at military families and now Americans are fed up.
President Joe Biden’s handling of the military has been atrocious ever since he took office back in January of 2021. That very year, it took only a few months for him to lose all respect from Americans with the way he mishandled the Afghanistan pullout of the U.S. military. Lives of Americans were left at stake, billions of dollars of U.S. military equipment was left, and Taliban terrorists took over immediately after the pullout.
Not only that, but independent reports on the health of the U.S. military have demonstrated that America’s defense forces haven’t been so weak since the 1970s under the Jimmy Carter years. Meanwhile, China continues to spend more and more on their military to add more soldiers and more equipment to their ranks.
Herritage's new report calls USAF "very weak", mainly due to low readiness rate, shortage of pilots, and pilots not getting enough flight hours.
These are valid concerns, but saying "very weak" is just dumb. Also, not their first time.https://t.co/bMZwV9ncXa pic.twitter.com/QWBJHiC5UZ— Doha (@Doha104p3) January 25, 2024
So what’s Joe Biden’s focus? Signing spending bills for billions of dollars to be funneled to proxy war efforts in Ukraine and Israel rather than supporting American military infrastructure. That much is obvious.
But now Americans are fed up. Joe Biden is being heavily criticized for a recent decision to snub American military families while he focuses on the new forever war between Ukraine and Russia. According to new reports, the Biden administration has opted to ignore pay increases for military members and instead wants to continue on course of spending taxpayer dollars overseas.
Biden Administration Opposes Proposed Pay Raise for Junior Enlisted Service Members
The Biden administration has expressed strong opposition to a proposed pay raise for junior enlisted service members, despite significant spending on Ukraine and broader regional security. The House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) draft of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision for a pay raise for all junior troops, amounting to approximately $24.4 billion over five years, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Biden administration emphasized its commitment to supporting service members and their families but rejected the proposed “significant, permanent” pay increase. The administration highlighted the necessity of completing the Fourteenth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation before making such changes.
“The Administration is strongly committed to taking care of our Servicemembers and their families, and appreciates the Committee’s concern for the needs of the most junior enlisted members, but strongly opposes making a significant, permanent change to the basic pay schedule before the completion of the Fourteenth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation,” stated the White House budget office.
Since 2022, the Biden administration has allocated over $175 billion in aid to Ukraine and European security, which is about seven times the proposed amount for the pay raise for junior troops. This aid, distributed through various packages over two years, includes a recent $61 billion package in April.
No servicemember should ever struggle to feed their family or afford housing.
The FY25 #NDAA will boost servicemember compensation w/ a 15% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers, expand allowances for housing & food, & improve the cost of living calculation. pic.twitter.com/X3Hmw4mH66
— Armed Services GOP (@HASCRepublicans) April 11, 2024
Republican Indiana Representative Jim Banks, a member of the HASC, criticized the administration’s stance, pointing out the economic struggles faced by Americans under the Biden administration. “When accounting for inflation, the average American makes less today than when Joe Biden took office. The White House wants to block Republicans from giving our troops the raise they need to make ends meet in the Biden economy,” Banks told the Daily Caller News Foundation. He also highlighted the substantial financial aid given to Ukraine, stating, “Meanwhile, they’ve sent the Ukrainian government $11,500 per Ukrainian household. It’s shameful.”
The bipartisan members of the HASC advocate for the pay increase as a means to address recruitment and retention challenges within the military. A year-long study by the HASC, published in April, found that many service members, particularly junior enlisted personnel and those with large families, struggle to afford housing and food.
The study noted that pay for junior troops has not kept pace with the civilian job market, especially in light of rising inflation. Over the past 40 years, junior troops have received smaller or no pay raises compared to their senior counterparts in eight instances.
Republican Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, also a member of the HASC, voiced his disapproval of the administration’s position, saying, “Joe Biden must hate our military. While families of our junior enlisted struggle on food stamps, this administration opposes their pay raises and wants to force-feed them pronoun training and drag queen story hour. If Biden had any PRIDE at all in our troops, he’d support the long overdue pay raise House Republicans have passed.”
The debate over the proposed pay raise highlights the broader challenges faced by junior enlisted service members and the ongoing political contention surrounding military funding and priorities.
The Biden administration is so desperate to keep people from leaving the military, they are paying bonuses higher than what retired veterans make.
Biden has managed to destroy our military and make life miserable for veterans in 3 short years. pic.twitter.com/04hIqzyCMx
— RareImagery 🇺🇸 (@RareImagery) June 12, 2024
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
