House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act of 2009

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1679) to provide for the replacement of lost income for employees of the House of Representatives who are members of a reserve component of the armed forces who are on active duty for a period of more than 30 days, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous matter on this bill now under consideration.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1679 will replace lost income for military reservists working for the House of Representatives when they are activated for more than 30 days. I introduced this bill after discussion with several House employees who also serve as members of armed services. When they are called up, these men and women must leave their homes, families and jobs, often for an undetermined and unpredictable amount of time.

While on active duty, men and women earn the wages of full-time servicemen and forfeit their regular salary. Many leading companies have helped families survive during this troubling time by paying the difference between their usual salary and their active-duty pay.

This bill would do the same thing for House employees. It requires the CAO to provide that supplement for House employees when they are activated involuntarily. This is a good bill that honors the devoted public service of House employees who not only serve as stewards of the democracy at home but as her defender abroad.

I thank the ranking member, Mr. Lungren, Mr. McCarthy and now Mr. Harper for working with us on this legislation. I urge all Members to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives, Committee on Standards of

Official Conduct,

Washington, DC, April 21, 2009.

Hon. Robert A. Brady,

Chairman, Committee on House Administration, House of

Representatives, Longworth House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Brady: We write to you regarding H.R. 1679,

the ``House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act of 2009.''

H.R. 1679 contains provisions that fall within the

jurisdiction of the Committee on Standards of Official

Conduct. Specifically, Clause 8 of House Rule XXIII (the Code

of Official Conduct), is amended to provide a new paragraph

``(d)'', providing that ``[n]othing in this clause may be

construed to prohibit the disbursement or receipt of any

payment authorized under section 2 of the House Reservists

Pay Adjustment Act of 2009.'' We write to confirm the mutual

understanding of the Committee on House Administration and

the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct that this

provision does not waive, reduce, or otherwise affect the

jurisdiction of the Committee on Standards of Official

Conduct to exercise its jurisdiction in this area in the

future.

We recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this

legislation before the House in an expeditious manner and,

accordingly, we do not plan to act on this bill prior to its

consideration on the Floor. However, we agree to waive

consideration of this bill with the mutual understanding that

our decision to forgo action on the bill does not waive,

reduce, or otherwise affect the jurisdiction of the Committee

on Standards of Official Conduct over certain provisions in

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1679, the ``House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act of 2009''. I would like to thank my colleague Robert Brady for introducing this legislation. H.R 1679 moves to require that the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives to pay an eligible House employee, who is also a member of a Reserve component of the Armed Forces, for each active duty month, the amount by which the employee's regular compensation from the House would have exceeded the total monthly military compensation paid to the employee for the active duty month by the Secretary of Defense.

The men and women in our Nation's reserve program are vital in our country's greatest time of need. They serve as military personnel, taking the time to stay trained and ready to serve this country at anytime when we as Congress vote to send them into combat. Their entire lives are put on hold, and families left behind to pick up the workload when a member is selected for active duty. They also hold civilian jobs like the employees covered under H.R. 1679, those employed by the House of Representatives. This commitment that they make to our country is much greater than the commitment we make today. In passing this legislation we can guarantee that the payment made to these soldiers by the House is the same when these employees are working as civilians or when they are called to active duty. As they watch a family member leave for service and questions of who will do the household duties that they usually perform. The worst thing we as Congress could do is ask them to take a pay cut.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1679, the ``House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act of 2009''. To require that the Chief Administrative Officer of the House pay House employees, who are also Reservists of the Armed Forces, for each active duty month the amount by which the employee's regular compensation from the House would have exceeded the total monthly military compensation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

As a member of the House Administration Committee, I am pleased to support H.R. 1679, the House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act of 2009.

I congratulate Chairman Brady for his leadership in introducing this bill, and I am pleased to support any measure that will alleviate some of the financial burden placed upon our military families.

The men and women of the United States Armed Forces, both Active Duty

and Reservists, make many sacrifices to protect our freedom. When called to active duty, Reservists are asked to spend time away from home, to selfishly put themselves in harm's way and, in many cases, to accept a salary that is less than what they would normally earn in civilian life.

The gap in pay experienced by these servicemen and -women often causes undue hardship to them and their families and increases the already heavy burden placed upon them as they leave for battle. I am pleased that this legislation will empower the House of Representatives to do its part to eliminate the financial hardship for those brave employees and their families.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1679.

I yield back the balance of my time.