The nation's top military heroes could see the compensation for their heroism almost triple under a plan recently floated by a pair of Republican lawmakers.

Presidential hopeful Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Florida Rep. David Jolly are pushing to boost the monthly pension given to Medal of Honor recipients to $3,000, from the current level of about $1,200.

The pension payout sees small inflation increases each year, but the lawmakers argue that a bigger boost is warranted, given the frequent public appearance demands placed on the heroes.

"This increase will better enable Medal of Honor recipients to reach out to Americans across the nation … sharing their personal stories, dedication to serve and love of country," Jolly said in a statement.

There are 79 living Medal of Honor recipients, including nine of the 12 men honored for actions in Afghanistan. There are no living Medal of Honor awardees for actions in the Iraq War.

Several of the men have become inspirational speakers for military and civilian audiences. In addition, recipients have made a point of using Medal of Honor Day, celebrated each March 25, as an opportunity for public awareness and service.

The pension bills have not yet been taken up for consideration by their respective chambers's committees.

A separate measure introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., in January would make those heroes eligible for free nursing home or in-home medical care and waive all co-pays for other health care services and medications.

In addition to the monthly pension, Medal of Honor recipients receive several other perks, including permission to fly on military aircraft at no cost, free access to military recreation facilities like pools, and automatic admission for their children to any military academy.

As a less formal tradition, medal recipients are saluted by service members of every rank, regardless of their own standing.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

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