House unanimously approves bill to raise pensions of Medal of Honor recipients

The House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill that seeks to drastically raise the yearly pension for Medal of Honor recipients from $16,880 to $67,500 per year. 

The bill will still need to be approved by the Senate and signed by President Donald Trump, but if signed, would impact the 60 living Medal of Honor recipients. There have been roughly 3,500 recipients since it was first created in 1863, Fox News reported.

The legislation was introduced by Reps. Troy Nehls, a Republican from Texas, and Chris Pappas, a Democrat from New Hampshire. The bill comes as a new Medal of Honor museum is set to open in Arlington, Texas, next month.

"My bill, the Medal of Honor Act, just passed the U.S. House of Representatives," Nehls posted on X. "Increasing the special pension for our nation’s Medal of Honor recipients is the least Congress can do to honor their bravery, valor, and selflessness. The Senate must pass this bill immediately!"

The increased funds for Medal of Honor recipients would be offset by extending a limitation on pensions for veterans with no spouses or dependents from 2031 to 2033.  The funds are issued through a disability compensation out of Veterans’ Affairs funding.

The pensions from the federal government for Medal of Honor recipients started in 1916 at $10 a month, went to $100 a month in 1961 and to $1,000 a month in 2002. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.