S. 3553 – Military Personnel Confirmation Restoration Act of 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 1:44 PM UTC

The Military Personnel Confirmation Restoration Act of 2023 aims to fix the delayed promotions of senior military officers (O‑7 and above) caused by the Senate’s suspension of confirmation authority in early 2023. It directs the Secretary of Defense to grant these officers retroactive pay, allowances, benefits, and seniority as if their promotions had occurred on an appropriate earlier date. The bill affects senior officers whose nominations were placed on the Senate’s Executive Calendar between December 5 and December 31, 2023, and whose confirmations were delayed because of the suspension.

Key Provisions

The Secretary of Defense must provide retroactive pay, allowances, and benefits to affected senior officers at the rates for the higher grade they were confirmed to.
The seniority date for these officers will be set retroactively, using the later of (i) 30 days after their nomination was placed on the Senate’s Executive Calendar, or (ii) the date they would have been appointed if the confirmation suspension had not occurred.

Legislative Activity

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4 earlier actions

HouseFloor Latest Action

Held at the desk.

December 19, 2023 • 2:44 PM

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

December 14, 2023

SenateFloor

Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5989; text: CR S5989)

December 14, 2023

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

December 18, 2023

HouseFloor

Received in the House.

December 19, 2023 • 2:11 PM

HouseFloor

Held at the desk.

December 19, 2023 • 2:44 PM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 3553 on the floor

1 Democrat

Sen. Charles E. SchumerD-NY · Dec 14, 2023

Mr. President, tonight, just in time for the holidays, the Senate is giving our military, our military families, a present: the justice and backpay they so richly earned and deserved. Finally, we are…

Bill Text

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Engrossed in SenateIssued December 14, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 3553

AN ACT

To provide a retroactive effective date for the promotions of senior officers of the Armed Forces whose military promotions were delayed as a result of the suspension of Senate confirmation of such promotions.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Military Personnel Confirmation Restoration Act of 2023.

2.

Sense of Congress

Congress holds the men and women who defend the United States in the highest esteem.

3.

Retroactive effective date of promotions of senior officers of Armed Forces that were delayed as a result of suspension of Senate confirmation

(a)

In general

In the case of an individual confirmed, during the period beginning on December 5, 2023, and ending on December 31, 2023, to a grade or rank in the Armed Forces associated with pay grade O–7 or higher and whose confirmation was delayed as a result of the suspension of the provision of advice and consent by the Senate to appointments to such grades and ranks that began in February 2023—

(1)

the Secretary of Defense shall provide the individual, retroactive to the date described in subsection (b)—

(A)

pay and allowances at the rates or in the amounts payable for the pay grade associated with the appointment of the individual; and

(B)

the benefits to which an individual in the grade or rank associated with the appointment is entitled; and

(2)

the date described in subsection (b) shall be the date used for determining the seniority of the individual in the grade or rank associated with the appointment.

(b)

Date described

The date described in this subsection is, with respect to an individual described in subsection (a), the date that is the later of—

(1)

the date that is 30 days after the date on which the nomination of the individual was placed on the Executive Calendar of the Senate; or

(2)

the date on which the individual would have been appointed but for the suspension of the provision of advice and consent described in subsection (a), as determined by the Secretary concerned (as defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code).

Passed the Senate December 14, 2023.

Secretary