President Donald Trump signed a pair of bills on Monday, including one that substantially increases the monthly pension for recipients of the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor.
The Medal of Honor Act, H.R. 695, raises the monthly pension from $16,880.76 annually to roughly $67,500 annually.
This works out to about $5,625 per month, up from $1,406.73 per month.
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), who introduced the bill and is set to retire at the end of his term, noted that there are 61 living Medal of Honor recipients of the more than 3,515 total in the medal’s history, dating back to 1863.
The Army and Navy Medal of Honor Roll established a $10 per month pension for Medal of Honor recipients in 1916, which was upped to $100 per month in 1961, Nehls’s office noted. In 2002, Congress raised the monthly pension to $1,000.
“Medal of Honor recipients truly embody the best of our nation,” Nehls said in a press release. “They never ask for special recognition or demand special treatment. Many of the living Medal of Honor recipients spend most of their time traveling our country, telling their stories inspiring the next generation of America’s heroes.”
“My bill, the Medal of Honor Act, eases their financial burden by increasing their special pension — ensuring they know that America is grateful for all they’ve done to serve our country and defend our freedoms,” he added.
The congressman also expressed his gratitude to Trump for signing it into law.
“I am beyond grateful to President Trump, our Commander in Chief, for signing my bill into law,” Nehls said. “The least we can do is lift the financial burden off of these selfless warriors who continue to serve our great nation.”
Trump also signed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025, which reauthorizes Department of Health and Human Services programs addressing “substance use disorders, overdoses, and mental health.”
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