Congress raises Medal of Honor pension by nearly 500 percent
S. 214 — MEDAL Act of 2025 · Filed by Ted Cruz (R-TX) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 23, 2025 · Hearing held
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What it does
This bill increases the monthly special pension paid to living Medal of Honor recipients from $1,406.73 to $8,333.33 per month, and clarifies that surviving spouses receive a monthly pension at the prior rate ($1,406.73, adjusted annually). The bill recognizes Medal of Honor recipients as exemplars of military service and argues they deserve a substantial pension increase in recognition of their extraordinary heroism.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a direct increase in pension payments to Medal of Honor recipients—a straightforward benefit to a defined, earned-benefit population. This is routine veterans' legislation, not a tax carve-out, subsidy, or deregulation.
What the text implies
- The bill does not specify a funding source or appropriation; the increase will require either reallocation within the VA budget or a new appropriation, which may affect other veterans' programs if not separately funded.
- The phrase 'as adjusted from time to time under subsection (e)' in the surviving-spouse provision references an adjustment mechanism in the existing statute (38 U.S.C. § 1562(e)), which likely provides for cost-of-living adjustments; the bill does not restate that provision, so the full effect depends on reading the cited statute.
Who stands to gain
Medal of Honor recipients (living individuals)