Living Medal of Honor recipients will now receive an annual stipend of approximately $67,500 under a new law signed Monday by President Donald Trump.
The Monetary Enhancement for Distinguished Active Legends (MEDAL) Act increases the monthly pension for recipients from $1,489.73 to $5,625. The additional funds help cover expenses tied to their status, such as travel for appearances, speaking engagements, and other obligations associated with earning the military’s highest honor.
“While we will never fully repay the debt owed to these heroes, we can ensure they are cared for, respected, and supported,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who championed the bill in the House alongside Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., added, “This bill eases the financial burden on our nation’s most decorated veterans and honors their service.”
Congress first authorized pensions for Medal of Honor recipients in 1916 at $10 per month, with the last increase in 2002 bringing the payment to $1,000 per month plus annual cost-of-living adjustments. Legislators had initially proposed an annual stipend of $100,000.
There are currently 61 living Medal of Honor recipients, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Since the medal’s creation in 1863, 3,547 awards have been presented to 3,528 service members, with 19 individuals earning it twice. The medal recognizes service members who display “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”
The first recipient was Army Lieutenant Jacob Parrott, honored for leading a 1862 Civil War raid in Georgia. The most recent living recipient, retired Army Capt. Larry Taylor received the medal in 2023 for heroism as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War, during which he rescued a four-man patrol under heavy fire after previously being awarded the Silver Star.
Pappas said the legislation is a commitment to service members, ensuring that those who have earned the nation’s highest military honor are financially secure after their service.