Congress shapes details of military pay increase

Both houses of Congress have now voted to give members of the armed services a sizable pay increase Oct. 1, but the House and Senate have yet to agree on how the money should be distributed.

The House voted Sept. 15 to reject a proposal for targeted pay increases and opted instead to give all military personnel at a 14.3 percent across-the-board pay hike. The plan is backed by the Reagan administration.

The Senate unanimously voted for the targeting approach last week when it passed a bill calling for pay increases ranging from 7 percent to 22 percent.

The task of working out an acceptable compromise is expected to go to a House-Senate conference committee.