President Obama sent a message to the House and Senate Friday recommending a one percent pay raise for the uniformed military and federal civilian workers next year.
In a letter the House and Senate, Obama said that a pay raise of 1.0 percent was "consistent with my Fiscal Year 2015 Budget and it will not materially affect the federal Government's ability to attract and retain well-qualified members for the uniformed services."
Obama said he wanted the 1.0 percent increase to take place starting Jan. 1, 2015. The pay raise offer was the same as the one Obama made last year.
Earlier this year, the Senate backed earlier moves to limit the military pay increase to one percent while the House voted to raise military pay by 1.8 percent.
In his letter defending the one percent recommendation, Obama acknowledged the contributions of military families but highlighted the budget cuts the government must make.
"As our country continues to recover from serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare, however, we must maintain efforts to keep our Nation on a sustainable fiscal course," the president wrote.
"This effort requires tough choices, especially in light of budget constraints," Obama said.
-- Richard Sisk can be reached at richard.sisk@monster.com
![](http://images04.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_large/public/2024-11/1time%20cher%20uss%20missouri%201200.jpg?itok=qi9yyMAM "Cher's more formal look in her 1989 music video, "If I Could Turn Back Time," filmed aboard the battleship USS Missouri. (Criteron Studios)")
