Arizona congressman seeks to boost military hazard pay

By Zachery Schmidt
The Center Square

U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Surprise, Ariz., recently introduced a bill to increase military hazard pay.

The Combat Pay Protection Act would require Congress to increase numerous combat-related and specialty military pay rates. The legislation is also known as H.R. 9465.

Hamadeh said his bill would provide a one-time pay increase to help restore payments that have not kept pace with inflation or military basic pay rates.

The bill would also require the Department of War to adjust these payments every January based on whatever is higher: inflation or the annual increase in basic military pay.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Hamadeh, an Army veteran, said, “Washington forgot who it works for.”

“Many of the brave men and women putting their lives on the line for our country have been stuck with combat and hazardous duty pays that haven’t been meaningfully updated in decades. It’s absurd,” Hamadeh told The Center Square, answering questions via email.

The Arizona congressman noted his legislation will update “dozens of military [pay scales] that Washington has ignored for far too long.”

“I’m proud that it will be included in the House FY27 National Defense Authorization Act,” he said.

The representative noted American military members “should never fall behind because of Washington’s failures.”

“Combat pay, hazardous duty pay, and family separation allowances should keep pace with either military base pay growth or inflation, whichever is higher,” he said. “If inflation hurts military families, Congress has a responsibility to make sure the men and women defending our nation are protected.”

Hamadeh said supporting America’s military “means more than saying ‘Thank you for your service’; it means ensuring they and their families can thrive.”

Currently the Pentagon is authorized to pay up to $275 a month in hazardous duty pay and $450 per month in hostile fire pay.

But the Pentagon has chosen to pay $225 a month for either hazardous duty pay or hostile fire pay, Hamadeh said.

“That is only $7.50 a day, which is about the cost of a coffee in 2026. That’s unacceptable,” he noted.

The last time Congress increased special-combat pay was in 2003.

“For years, Washington failed to stand up for the men and women who stand up for America every day. That’s why I have introduced the Combat Pay Protection Act, and that’s why I’ll continue fighting until our service members receive the compensation and respect they have earned,” Hamadeh said.

“I am proud to be a champion for America’s warfighters and their families, and I will always put them first,” he added.