THE DAILY GRIND – SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2016: OBAMA CUTS MILITARY PAY WHILE FULLY FUNDING REFUGEES DUMPED IN NEVADA THIS MONTH FROM THE CONGO

OBAMA CUTS MILITARY PAY WHILE FULLY FUNDING REFUGEES DUMPED IN NEVADA THIS MONTH FROM THE CONGO

Today Congressman Heck, who sits on the House Select Armed Service Committee pushed for the full 2.1% pay increase for Nevada military families as entitled to under current law. However, President Obama blocked the full increase. This year marks the fourth in a row that the President has blocked full pay increases for  our military families. The lower pay increase mandated by the President means a young military family in Nevada would receive about $336 less this year.  Over four years, a local military family will lose between $1,500 and $2,000 depending on rank.

“Our men and women in uniform deserve a full pay raise,” Rep. Heck said. “The global security environment is not getting any safer and deployments aren’t getting any easier, yet our military families are constantly asked to do more with less. This is unacceptable. I remain committed to ensuring our troops and their families receive the full pay raise they have earned.”

Catherine Cortez Masto supports the President’s proposal which will directly affect more than 12,000 Airmen at Nellis Air force Base living here in Las Vegas. The military pay cuts will have a direct negative impact on Clark County of over $100 million over 4 years.

Meantime, the President pushed for an increase in funding refugees.

RENO RECEIVES FIRST WAVE OF REFUGEES FROM THE CONGO THIS WEEK

The Obama administration has approved the resettlement of 95 refugees from the Congo this week in Reno Nevada. The first wave will begin arriving by this September then the balance over the next twelve months. They will each receive $1,125 from the Federal government as their initial cash assistance and they are eligible for welfare and food stamps.

Carina Black, Executive Director of the Northern Nevada International Center said:

“We’re working with various faith communities that are adopting families, and stock their apartments with furniture and household goods,” she says. “And then we’ll take over, get them enrolled in school and get them into employment and ESL situations.”

Black said the refugees are screened through a multi layered process by the UN high council on Refugees.

Assemblyman Jim Wheeler responded to the refugee resettlement saying; “As long as our we have homeless Veterans, we should take care of them first before we bring in more people from other countries who need public assistance. We need to take of Americans in need first.”

That is already on top of 2,800 refugees resettled in Clark County, according to local charities.

NEWSMAXTV LAS VEGAS STAFF  WRITER