Houston Daily

President Donald J. Trump has signed into law the Medal of Honor Act, a bill authored by Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22), which significantly increases the special pension for Medal of Honor recipients.

“Medal of Honor recipients truly embody the best of our nation,” said Congressman Nehls. “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.

“I am beyond grateful to President Trump, our Commander in Chief, for signing my bill into law,” Congressman Nehls continued. “The least we can do is lift the financial burden off of these selfless warriors who continue to serve our great nation."

Prior to this legislation, Medal of Honor recipients received an annual pension of $16,880.76. The new law raises this amount to approximately $67,500 per year—a nearly fourfold increase.

The bipartisan measure passed unanimously in both chambers: first in the U.S. House of Representatives in February 2025 and then in the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent.

The Medal of Honor is recognized as the highest military award in the United States. Since its inception in 1863 with Army Private Jacob Parrott as its first recipient, more than 3,515 individuals have been awarded the honor; currently, there are 63 living recipients.

Congress originally established a special pension for Medal of Honor recipients in 1916 at $10 per month. This amount was increased several times over the years—to $100 per month in 1961 and to $1,000 per month in 2002—but had not kept pace with inflation or cost-of-living adjustments since then.

As it stands now, eligible recipients receive a base rate pension of $1,406.73 per month without any cost-of-living adjustments. Eligibility is based solely on receipt of the medal and does not affect other federal benefits; fewer than 70 people currently qualify for this program.

Congressman Nehls has introduced versions of this legislation during multiple sessions: specifically during the 117th, 118th, and 119th Congresses.

Troy Nehls has held his seat after several election victories over recent years. In 2020 he won against Sri Preston Kulkarni with just over half the vote; he secured reelection again in both 2022 and 2024 by larger margins against Jamie Jordan and Marquette Greene-Scott respectively.