An amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to be introduced by Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., would increase service member pay at a rate that matches the inflation rate.
The 2023 NDAA includes a provision to raise troop pay by 4.6%, and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, added an amendment to raise this increase by 2.4% for service members with low income. However, even combined these increases would not match the 8.6% inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index for May. Budd's amendment would increase the bonus provided by Golden's by 1.6% in order to match the inflation rate.
"Congress should not stand by while Joe Biden's inflation eats away at the pay of our service members. My amendment ensures that the pay raise for our troops covers the increased prices at the grocery store and at the pump," Budd told the Daily Caller, which received the amendment prior to its introduction on Friday afternoon.
Golden said last month, in a statement released with his proposed amendment, that "the Department of Defense today must counter growing threats the world over, and those threats are only becoming more complex. This amendment provides the additional resources required to confront these challenges and to address rising costs due to the inflation being felt across the armed forces."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.