A bill led by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) that would give back pay to senior officers in the U.S. Armed Forces whose promotions were delayed by suspended U.S. Senate confirmations passed the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee as part of a larger committee bill.
The committee passed the Military Personnel Confirmation Restoration Act of 2023, S. 3456, as part of its version of the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), S. 4638, which was reported out of the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 13 and officially filed on July 8.
“I am pleased that the Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act is included in our Armed Services committee version of the FY25 Senate NDAA,” Sen. Rounds said on Tuesday.
“These nominations for our military members were initially held up due to policy differences,” explained the senator. “Though their promotions and nominations are no longer stalled, many military officers spent much of 2023 waiting on positions they had earned through exemplary service to our country, often in combat zones, over the last two decades. This legislation would make certain they and their families receive the benefits they missed out on for several months.”
Sen. Rounds sponsored S. 3456 on Dec. 7, 2023 alongside six original cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Joe Manchin (I-WV). As a provision in the FY 2025 NDAA, it also would make an adjustment to the affected service members’ time in grade, as well as other administrative fixes.
“I’m proud our bipartisan Military Personnel Confirmation and Restoration Act has been included in the FY25 Senate NDAA,” said Sen. Manchin. “This important legislation will provide well-earned retroactive promotion dates and back pay for our nation’s senior military officers after many promotions were blocked for months.”
The FY 2025 NDAA is the 10th NDAA that Sen. Rounds has helped author as a member of the committee, according to his staff.