NORFOLK, Va. — Alexis McDonald knows it's not always easy for military families to balance the budget.
"It can be very difficult to make ends meet," said McDonald, who's a Navy spouse.
As News 3 has reported, about a quarter of active duty service members are considered food insecure, meaning they don't have access to enough food or adequate food.
"When our service members are answering the call to serve, they're constantly deployed or constantly in a training posture. That exacerbated financial strain can take a toll on military families," said McDonald, who's also a Government Affairs Specialist at Secure Families Initiative.
Members of Congress are getting ready to take up the next defense spending bill, which will address pay.
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"I don't think the pay that military members get is adequate. That's evidenced by a lot of things," said Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia).
Of particular focus are junior enlisted service members who are just beginning their careers.
Compensation for a Sailor in the E1 rank comes out to about $70,000 a year, which includes their salary, housing allowance, food allowances, as well as health and dental care, according to the Navy's website.
"This is an all-volunteer force. We know that military recruitment is challenged right now, so we're trying to find ways that we can bridge those gaps," said Kiggans.
Due to moving and childcare costs, many military families are also one-income households.
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"I'll never say that the military doesn't deserve a raise. We do need to make a living wage," said McDonald.
The most recently passed defense budget did give service members a 5.2-percent raise, the highest in 20 years, but Kiggans says more needs to be done.
The House Armed Services Committee recently released a report examining quality of life, including pay. One of the recommendations is to give service members between E1 and E4 a 15-percent raise.
"If they're already starting too low and we give everybody across the board a 5.2-percent raise, we're kind of widening the pay gap," said Kiggans.
Another recommendation is to increase the basic allowance for housing.
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The Defense Department says the federal government uses a metric to try and compare to private sector salaries in determining how big raises should be.
"It's just really hard to say, 'Come into the military and earn less than your counterparts in the civilian sector. That's why Congress and the Trump administration and the Biden administration have been pretty forceful about seeking out pay increases for the military," said Dr. Robert McNab, an economist from Old Dominion University.
McNab says these discussions do have a big impact on Hampton Roads, which is home to 80,000 to 85,000 active duty service members.
"Even a three to four percent raise will add tens of millions to the economy over time," said McNab.
As Congress gets to work, local families are closely watching.
"Just like many Americans who are experiencing the cost of inflation, rising house costs, military pay, and even the housing allowances don't keep up with market rates," said McDonald.
