By DAVID MANN
Congressional Democrats and the Bush administration are at odds over a proposal that would increase military pay.
The U.S. House passed a bill last week that would increase military pay by 3.5 percent. Bush, meanwhile, had requested a 3 percent raise.
The Whitehouse released a policy statement saying that it strongly opposes the attempt to tag on an extra .5 percent, saying that such a raise was "unnecessary."
Pay must be kept competitive, the Whitehouse Office of Management and Budget's statement said, and the three percent raise is equal to the increase in the Employment Cost Index. The cost of increasing the military pay by an additional .5 percent is $265 million in fiscal year 2008 and $7.3 billion from fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2013, according to the Whitehouse.
Rep. Baron Hill, D-Seymour, voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Bill which contained the military raise. The bill passed with bi-partisan support by an overwhelming 397 to 27 roll call vote. Hill said the bill conveys his party's commitment to financially supporting the troops. For the record, more Democrats voted against it than did Republicans.
In a statement released Friday, the congressman expressed his distain for the President's position.
"I am very disappointed by the President's decision to veto a bill that not only boosts the strength and readiness of our Armed Forces and National Guard and Reserves but also provides enhanced benefits for our troops, their families, and veterans," Hill said.
He argues that the President's tax breaks for the top 1 percent of wage earners total $536 billion - 70 times the military pay increase - during fiscal year 2008.
Other congressional goings-on:
• On Tuesday, the House passed a bill which seeks to strengthen regulations on Mexico-based commercial trucks operating in the United States. The bill prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from granting authority to a Mexican trucking company to operate beyond U.S. municipalities and commercial zones on the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill passed 411 to 3. Hill voted in favor of it.
• Also on Tuesday, the House reauthorized the federal COPS program for another six years. That program provides local police department with federal grants to hire school resource officers, pay for officers hired to perform intelligence, anti-terror, or homeland security duties, and establish illegal drug prevention among other things. The bill passed 381-34, with Hill voting in favor of it.
