Here is a benefit that Congress passed 415-0.

Now, it is important that we give as many benifits to our troops as possible. However, it is missing a very important point. Because of our dependence on the National Guard, many of our troops have been away from their careers for a year or more. In this time, they have been earning, in many cases, much less than their normal pay.

These troops did not buy their houses, arrange their budgets, or plan their lives around the military pay, but their normal pay.

Now, to address this wage gap, our representatives are allowing the soldiers to tap into their retirement benefits to cover this wage gap. This is an injustice. A 28 year-old soldier spending a dollar from retirement funds today is robbing that soldier of over $49 at retirement (the Dow Jones Industrial Average for the last 10 years was about 13%, if we project this out until the soldier turns 60, that would have added up to $49). If we expect the average to do less, even at 6.5%, we have stolen $7.50 from this soldier's retirement.

If we truly want to address the wage gap amongst our troops, we should not do it by mortgaging their future. We should arrange real financing and aid programs for these brave Americans.