An airman logs into myPay to check her leave and earnings statement for her paycheck at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has approved a 1.6 percent pay raise for U.S. servicemembers next year, the White House announced Wednesday.

The raise, which would go into effect Jan. 1 for 2017 is in line with the increase the Senate approved for the 2017 defense spending bill but less than the 2.1 percent the House of Representatives had pushed for.

“I am strongly committed to supporting our uniformed service members, who have made such great contributions to our Nation over more than a decade of war,” Obama said in a statement.

Obama said the size of the increase had to be weighed against the overall budget needs.

“As our country continues to recover from serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare, however, we must maintain efforts to keep our Nation on a sustainable fiscal course. This effort requires tough choices, especially in light of budget constraints.”

The House and Senate are still negotiating the differences between the two chambers’ defense spending bills; the resulting bill would go to Obama for his signature.

copp.tara@stripes.com

Twitter: @TaraCopp