Secret Service Overtime Pay Extension Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank and acknowledge the remarks of the gentleman from Georgia on this bill. As ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Security, I also express my strong support for H.R. 6893, the Secret Service Overtime Pay Extension Act, introduced by my friend Steve Russell from Oklahoma, who is the chairman of our subcommittee.

In light of previous legislation reported out of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on a bipartisan basis, this bill would ensure that the United States Secret Service retains the ability to provide overtime pay to its dedicated workforce for the additional work that agents will be required to perform in 2019 and through the 2020 Presidential election process.

The bipartisan investigation conducted by our committee during the 114th Congress examined how best to strengthen the core protective mission of the Secret Service. The Secret Service is our Nation's primary security force for the protection of the President, the First Family, Presidential candidates, and, when necessary, other elected officials and world leaders.

The Secret Service currently faces serious administrative challenges. According to the bipartisan report unanimously adopted by our committee in 2016, chief among those challenges is a staffing crisis that poses perhaps the greatest threat to the agency and that allowed a series of brazen security breaches during both the Obama and Trump administrations.

The safety and security of the Secret Service mission demands that the Congress provide sufficient funding to restore the agency to adequate staffing levels. At a minimum, we must first ensure that the agency retains the basic ability to compensate its agents with the overtime pay that they have earned and that they deserve.

In 2017, we passed legislation on a bipartisan basis to retroactively authorize overtime pay for the thousands of additional hours worked by Secret Service employees in the midst of an extraordinarily taxing and extended 2016 Presidential campaign season.

Recognizing that the agency now provides security details for a President with a larger First Family and multiple and extensive travel schedules, we subsequently passed legislation extending that authorization through 2018.

As underscored by the Federal union representing rank-and-file Secret Service agents, the 2020 Presidential campaign season is expected to involve the participation of multiple candidates who may require earlier Secret Service protection than customary and include an extended Presidential primary cycle, thereby imposing further demands on the already understaffed Secret Service workforce.

That is why our committee approved Representative Steve Russell's legislation to fund overtime pay for the Secret Service for calendar year 2019, as well as an amendment introduced by our full committee ranking member, the gentleman from Maryland, Elijah Cummings, to extend this authorization through the 2020 campaign year. I note that the 2- year authorization request was specifically supported by the Secret Service.

The hardworking men and women of the Secret Service put their lives on the line every day and make tremendous personal sacrifices for our country. Congress has a fundamental responsibility to provide the resources that they need to do their jobs safely and successfully.

While I believe Congress should also spend some time working together on a permanent fix to this problem, I, nevertheless, stand proud to join my colleagues in this bipartisan effort to support the Secret Service in this effort.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.

Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I also urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source