United States Secret Service Uniformed Division Modernization Act of 2010 -- Extension of Remarks

Floor Speech

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for S. 1510, the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division Modernization Act. I support the underlying bill but I want to highlight language that would allow the Department of Defense to waive, on a case by case basis, repayment of Voluntary Separation Pay for certain individuals. I worked on this issue during the National Defense Authorization Act markup and am pleased that the House will approve this important language within this bill.

Many individuals, who had voluntarily retired, responded to their country's call and returned to service at DOD following 9/11, and several more returned following Hurricane Katrina. According to the House Armed Services Committee, an estimated 22 individuals would benefit from this language in my home State of Georgia, and an estimated 40 individuals would benefit across the nation.

Current law allows the Department of Defense to offer voluntary separation incentive pay for individuals to voluntarily retire. If an employee receives this separation pay and returns to federal service within 5 years, the individual must repay the amount received--unless the individual is considered to be the only qualified applicant available for the position. Before being rehired, these individuals were assured that they would not have to repay the VSIP--because their country needed them. This language provides short-term, limited authority to the Secretary of Defense to waive on a case-by-case basis repayment of the separation pay.

This limited, case-by-case waiver authority, meets the objectives of the Civilian Human Resources Strategic Plan to: ``provide effective policies and programs related to stability of employment that support management's ability to restructure organizations while retaining needed skills of affected employees and accommodating their needs in an efficient and humane manner.''

Passage of this bill, with this language, will ensure that those heroic Americans, who responded to their country's call to duty, are not penalized. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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