By Megan Scully, CongressDaily
Compensation packages for active-duty enlisted personnel grew by 21 percent from 2000 to 2006, helping to eliminate the pay and benefits gap between military and civilian jobs, the Congressional Budget Office concluded in a report released Friday.
The report, requested by the Senate Budget Committee, comes amid a continuing congressional effort to reward heavily deployed troops and create incentives to stay in uniform by enhancing basic pay, food and housing allowances, tax advantages and re-enlistment bonuses. Indeed, both the House and Senate versions of the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill include a 3.5 percent pay raise for military personnel -- a half a percent higher than requested by the Pentagon.
The White House, which opposed the larger pay raise, has estimated it will cost $265 million in fiscal 2008 and $7.3 billion between fiscal 2008 and fiscal 2013. Meanwhile, lawmakers have thwarted the Bush administration's efforts to increase TRICARE health coverage co-pays and other fees for many military retirees -- a move the Pentagon has said would save $20 billion over the next six years and help rein in rising healthcare costs.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37358&dcn=e_gvet
Also see Navy Times story at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/06/military_cbostudy_militarypay_070629w/
