Amata highlights House passage of Military pay raise

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Aumua Amata is highlighting House passage Friday of a 5.2 percent pay raise for the Armed Forces, the largest one-year pay boost in two decades.

The pay increase is part of the yearly major Defense legislation, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2024, which directs $886 billion to the Department of Defense and national security efforts at the Department of Energy.

Once the U.S. Senate also passes a bill, probably in July, there will then likely be a reconciliation effort due to expected differences between the House and Senate versions, however the pay provision itself has broad agreement.

“This would be the largest pay raise for our military in 20 years, and it is well-deserved, especially helping to offset increases in living expenses in recent years,” said Congresswoman Amata.

“I expect there to continue to be lots of support in both Senate and House for a pay increase for those serving in our Armed Forces.”

In regional highlights, the NDAA will increase funding for the Pacific Defense Initiative and for INDO-PACOM priorities in the region, such as freedom of navigation exercises, and support for activities related to the AUKUS partnership (U.S., Australia, and the UK).