The Biden administration has rejected a proposal to raise the pay for U.S. troops, citing budgetary constraints and other pressing defense needs. The decision, which is part of the proposed H.R. 8070 bill, has left many service members and military personnel advocates disheartened and vocal about their discontent.

The bill, titled the “Service-member Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025,” aimed to authorize appropriations totaling $884.9 billion for the next fiscal year, with significant portions allocated to various military functions and defense activities. However, despite these substantial appropriations, the provision to increase troop pay did not receive the administration’s endorsement.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing this increase would cost $24.4 billion over the 2025-2029 period. Specifically, pay for enlisted members in pay grade E-5 with less than 10 years of service would increase by an average of 7%, while pay for grades E-1 to E-4 would see a more substantial increase of 15%.

Despite these forecasts, the Biden administration has determined that the suggested pay raise is not financially viable given the existing budgetary limitations. “The $883.7 billion authorized by H.R. 8070 for defense programs in 2025 is less than the $895.2 billion discretionary funding cap for defense programs specified in section 101 of Public Law 118-5, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023,” notes the CBO report.

The Biden administration has significantly increased U.S. aid to Ukraine, despite not having enough funds to raise pay for the troops. This aid includes military support such as weapons and training. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. has committed approximately $44.2 billion in security aid.

The U.S. has provided approximately $22.9 billion in direct financial support to help sustain the Ukrainian government and its public services during the war, in addition to military aid. There is also an allocation of $2.3 billion for humanitarian efforts to assist those affected by the conflict, including refugees and displaced individuals. This includes support for energy, governance, and agricultural sectors, among others.

“Joe Biden must hate our military,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told the Daily Caller. “While families of our junior enlisted struggle on food stamps, this administration opposes their pay raises and wants to force-feed them pronoun training and drag queen story hour. If Biden had any PRIDE at all in our troops, he’d support the long overdue pay raise House Republicans have passed.”