U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (PA-14) voted in support of the Defense Appropriations Act, which was approved in the House by a vote of 395 to 34.

“This legislation provides essential assistance and resources to the men and women in our armed forces and their families,” Congressman Doyle said, “and it includes important emergency provisions to help hard-pressed American families endure this recession.”  

The Defense Appropriations Act gives all U.S. military personnel a 3.4 percent pay raise.  It also provides money to pay them an extra $500 for every month their term of service is involuntarily extended by the Pentagon's “stop loss” practice.  The bill also provides assistance to service members’ families by investing $29 billion in programs such as child care, job training for spouses, and expanded counseling services.

The bill also provides additional emergency relief to those Americans that are hardest hit by our current economic slump by extending emergency unemployment benefits and help with COBRA health benefits for those out of work.