Senate panel OKs 3.9 percent raise for 2009

[unhappycamper]

Senate panel OKs 3.9 percent raise for 2009
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 1, 2008 11:46:34 EDT

A Senate committee, siding with military and veterans’ groups rather than the Pentagon, has approved a 3.9 percent military pay raise for 2009, a move that would continue to close the perceived gap between military and civilian wages.

The Senate Armed Services Committee also rejected for the third consecutive year a Pentagon effort to increase Tricare fees for military retirees and their families and for all beneficiaries using the Tricare retail pharmacy benefit.

The disagreements with the Pentagon are part of the 2009 defense authorization bill, which the committee approved Wednesday in what is only the first step in a long legislative process.

The House Armed Services Committee begins writing its own version of the defense policy bill next week.

The 3.9 percent pay raise is 0.5 percentage points more than requested by the White House and is likely to draw complaints that the estimated $350 million cost of the larger raise could be better spent on higher priorities.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_2009_payraise_050108w/