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Mike Garcia: “Our junior enlisted ranks earn about $23,000 a year.”

Featuring: Mike Garcia, Republican | Former U.S. House, California, District 27

Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops

Published April 3, 2023 | Video Starts at 01:16

As I reflect on just how little our junior enlisted ranks earn, I'm left begging the question, Madam speaker, who is providing them with their security? What lobbyist group is advocating for Our junior enlisted ranks earn about $23,000 a year. Madam Speaker, I know you're familiar with this, having served your country, but this is a pay table from the dodgesthe for FY 23 showing what our enlisted troops make. (01:16–01:27)

CLAIM

Asserts that junior enlisted military personnel earn approximately $23,000 annually.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Mike Garcia

“Our enlisted troops continue to do the tough work of providing Americans their security blanket.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 00:35-00:42
“When they first join, they're actually making less than $21,000 a year.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 01:27-01:33
“It's not until they're actually above an E3 with E4 rank over four years, five years, that they're actually above what we would consider…”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 01:32-01:46
“A third of our troops, Madam speaker, qualify for food stamps.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 02:50-02:54
“Even China is paying their enlisted more than we are.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 02:54-02:59
“We suffer from record low recruitment.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 03:39-03:42
“Record low retention.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 03:41-03:43
“Pay and quality of life are the biggest drivers right now in our challenges to retention.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 03:48-03:54
“In the midst of seven to 8% inflation and when your base pay is only $22,000 a year, a 5% increase is only about $90 a month.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 04:19-04:30
“Last year, my military spouse bill passed both chambers of Congress and was signed into law by the president in January.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 05:03-05:10
“This law requires all 50 states to recognize the professional licenses of active duty spouses.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 05:14-05:22
“I've introduced a bill that ensures that the DoD minimum base pay salary is $31,200.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 06:12-06:20
“This $31,200, it represents about a 50% increase to base pay for enlisted personnel.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 06:28-06:35
“On our current recruitment and retention trajectory, we will still lose a war against a peer threat like China.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 07:14-07:21
“We will still lose a two front war against near peer adversaries.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 07:21-07:28
“With the most lethal arsenal in the world, we are still not secure unless we take care of our troops.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 07:30-07:35
“As a nation, we must reestablish our dominance on the global stage, a position, frankly, that we lost in the wake of the Afghanistan…”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 08:04-08:14
“The gap between our troops and their civilian counterparts right now is at an all time high.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 08:14-08:21
“China has closed the gap against the United States in several domains.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 08:22-08:27
“$31,000 is a doable due for base pay for our enlisted, and it's necessary.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 08:56-09:05
“It's imperative that as we craft the National Defense Authorization act, or the NDAA, and also write the defense appropriation bills... that…”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 09:05-09:20
“Your nation has forgotten you and neglected you for too long, and that ends this year.”
Mike Garcia: Why I Am Concerned For Our Enlisted Troops | Uploaded April 3, 2023 | 09:30-09:37