Honoring his pledge to make West Virginia troops and veterans a top priority, U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-WV, cast his vote Thursday in support of a $503.8 billion Defense authorization bill that will provide troops with better protection, better health care, better pay and the benefits they have earned.

"Finally, we have a bill that honors the great service and great sacrifice made by our brave military men and women," Rahall said. "This legislation will ensure that our troops are taken care of, both on and off of the battlefield."

The bill, H.R. 1585, FY 2008 Defense Authorization Bill, which improves force protection of our troops, provides an additional $4.1 billion for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, which could reduce the casualties caused by improvised explosive devices by as much as 80 percent. It also provides $1.2 billion for personal body armor and authorizes $2.5 billion for up-armor humvee protection and $1.2 billion for vehicle add-on armor.

"We have a responsibility to protect those who protect us, often putting themselves in harm's way," Rahall said. "It gives me great pleasure to play a part in finally taking our brave soldiers off the budgetary chopping block," Rahall said.

Also under the bill, all service members will receive a pay raise of 3.5 percent, .5 percent more than the President's budget request. The bill preserves health benefits by prohibiting fee increases in TRICARE and the TRICARE pharmacy program for service members and retirees, expands special compensation for combat-related disabled retirees. Provisions also include the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, which addresses many of the problems identified at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

"As John F. Kennedy once said, 'As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them,'" Rahall said. "Today, Congress lived by their words and honored our troops and veterans with a Defense bill worthy of a grateful Nation."