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Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act (H.R. 3230; 113th Congress)

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Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act
Great Seal of the United States
Long titleMaking continuing appropriations during a Government shutdown to provide pay and allowances to members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who perform inactive-duty training during such period.
Announced inthe 113th United States Congress
Sponsored byRep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
Legislative history

The Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act (H.R. 3230) is a continuing resolution that passed the United States House of Representatives during the 113th United States Congress. The bill would provide funding for the "reserve components of the Armed Forces," a list which is defined as including the Army National Guard of the United States, the Army Reserve, the Navy Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, the Air National Guard of the United States, the Air Force Reserve, and the Coast Guard Reserve. The funding would cover "pay and allowances (for) reserve members of the military who participate in inactive-duty training during fiscal year 2014."[1] The Congressional Budget Office reported the the bill would result in a budget authority of $5.0 billion.[2] Due to the Pay Our Military Act and other laws related to the shutdown, most of the Pentagon's 800,000 civilian workers and the American military's 1.3 million active-duty soldiers will get paid during the shutdown, but the 800,000 Guardsmen and reservists won't, unless a bill such as the Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act is passed.[3]

On October 1, 2013, the United States federal government shut down due to a failure of the United States Congress to pass any appropriation legislation - regular or in the form of a continuing resolution - in order to fund the government in fiscal year 2014. In reaction to this shutdown, the Republican-led House of Representatives began introducing and passing a series of mini-continuing resolutions that would continue to fund smaller pieces of the government. The Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act is one of those bills.[4]

Background

Template:2013 continuing resolutions

Congress annually considers several appropriations measures, which provide funding for numerous activities. Appropriations measures are under the jurisdiction of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. In recent years these measures have provided approximately 35% to 39% of total federal spending, with the remainder comprising mandatory spending and net interest on the public debt. If regular bills are not enacted by the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1, Congress adopts continuing resolutions to continue funding, generally until regular bills are enacted.[5]

Fiscal year 2014 in the United States began on October 1, 2013. At that time, the government shutdown because no money had been appropriated to continue funding the government. Congress had not passed any of the introduced regular appropriation bills from earlier in 2013.[6] In late September 2013, when it became clear that a shutdown was imminent, Congress began working on a continuing resolution, Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 (H.J.Res 59), that would temporarily fund the government.[7] The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on September 20, 2013. It would have funded the government until December 15, 2013, but also included measures to delay the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. The Senate stripped the bill of the measures related to the Affordable Care Act, and passed it in revised form on Friday, September 27, 2013. The House put similiar measures back and passed it again in the early morning hours on Sunday, September 29.[8] The Senate refused to pass the bill while it still had measures to delay the Affordable Care Act, and the two sides could not develop a compromise bill by midnight on Monday, September 30, 2013, causing the federal government to shut down due to a lack of appropriated funds.

After the shutdown, the House and the Senate both continued to work on legislation that would restore funding to the government. House Republicans began writing "mini-appropriation" bills - continuing resolutions that would fund smaller pieces of the government. The Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act is the fourth one of those bills.[4][9]

Provisions of the bill

This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service, a public domain source.[10]

The Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act would make appropriations for FY2014, for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2014 are not in effect, for pay and allowances to members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who perform inactive-duty training during FY2014.[10]

The bill would make such appropriations, funds, and authority granted by this Act available until whichever of the following first occurs: (1) enactment of an appropriation for any purpose for which amounts are made available by this Act, (2) enactment of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any appropriation for such purpose, or (3) January 1, 2015.[10]

The "reserve components of the Armed Forces" are defined in section 10101 of title 10, United States Code.[11] 10 U.S.C. § 10101 states:

The reserve components of the armed forces are:
(1) The Army National Guard of the United States.
(2) The Army Reserve.
(3) The Navy Reserve.
(4) The Marine Corps Reserve.
(5) The Air National Guard of the United States.
(6) The Air Force Reserve.
(7) The Coast Guard Reserve.

The Congressional Budget Office reported the the bill would result in a budget authority of $5.0 billion.[2]

Procedural history

House

The Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act was introduced in the House on October 2, 2013 by Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY).[12] It was referred to the United States House Committee on Appropriations. On October 3, 2013 the House voted in Roll Call 516 to pass the bill 265-160.[12] All Republicans and 36 Democrats voted in favor of the bill.[9]

Senate

The Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act was received in the Senate on October 4, 2013.[12] Throughout the first and second weeks of the shutdown, the Senate made numerous statements that they would ignore the "piecemeal" or "mini" spending bills that were passed by the House.[13]

Debate and discussion

Republicans argued that the Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act was necessary to correct an oversight in the Pay Our Military Act that was signed into law by President Obama on September 30, 2013.[9] The bill would fund the military in the event that the federal government was shutdown, as it was later that night.[9] Some Republicans argued that it was not an oversight, but an incorrect interpretation of the law by the Department of Defense that was the problem.[14] Representative Candice Miller (R-MI) said that "Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has improperly furloughed countless Guardsmen and women across the country, in violation of the intent of law."[14] The Pay Our Military Act only covered pay and allowances for full-time active duty National Guard and reserve members.

Republicans argued that the Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act was a bill that the two sides could cooperate on easily. Speaker of the House John Boehner pointed to the quick passage of the Pay Our Military Act only hours before the shutdown as an example of cooperation between Democrats and Republicans on an important issue.[15] The act ensured that members of the military would still be paid if the federal government shut down. Boehner argued that because this was possible once, "we should have no trouble coming together and extending the same relief to our National Guard and Reserves. These men and women make incredible sacrifices for our country, and they and their families deserve this certainty and fairness. The Senate should send this bill to the president’s desk immediately."[15] Representative Martha Roby (R-AL) agreed, saying that "we showed with the Pay Our Military Act that there were some things too important to let politics get in the way of funding. The financial security of our military families certainly is one. But isn’t funding for veterans’ services one, too? How about paying our national guardsmen and reservists, or making sure we have enough federal disaster funding?"[16]

Democrats remained opposed to the bill, favoring a clean continuing resolution instead. Democrats, such as Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN) argued against the bill because "Congress still hasn't dealt with issues like military maintenance and procurement, research and development, and other important issues that would be covered by a full appropriations bill."[9]


Speaking in favor of the mini-appropriation bills several days later, House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said that "the nine bills the House has passed since Oct. 1 to reopen the government — this will be the tenth — constitute nearly one-third of the federal government's discretionary budget."[4] So, he asked, "why are these bills still sitting on Harry Reid's desk? Why is the Senate not making every stride they can to help our nation's disadvantaged children, hungry families and our veterans?"[4] Democrats responded by repeating their demands that the House pass a "clean" continuing resolution.


In Indiana, Governor Mike Pence announced that "On that first day of the federal shutdown, I ordered the Indiana National Guard to continue paying the 244 federally-reimbursed employees who provide support to the Guard,” because “I consider the cost of approximately $33,000 a day a small price to pay for ensuring Indiana is prepared to handle any emergency."[17]


See also

Notes/References

  1. ^ Ripon Advance Reports (8 October 2013). "House votes for bill that would pay reserve forces during shutdown". The Ripon Advance. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  2. ^ a b "CBO - H.R. 3230" (PDF). Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  3. ^ McGarry, Brendan (8 October 2013). "Guard Civilians Back at Work, Drills Still on Hold". Military.com News. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d Kasperowicz, Pete (8 October 2013). "House sends tenth funding bill to Senate". The Hill. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  5. ^ Tollestrup, Jessica (23 February 2012). "The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  6. ^ Plumer, Brad (30 September 2013). "Absolutely everything you need to know about how the government shutdown will work". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  7. ^ "H.J.Res 59 - Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  8. ^ "H.J.Res 59 - All Actions". United States Congress. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e Kasperowicz, Pete (3 October 2013). "House sends bill funding National Guard, military reserves to Senate". The Hill. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  10. ^ a b c "H.R. 3230 - Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  11. ^ "H.R. 3230 - Text". United States Congress. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  12. ^ a b c "H.R. 3230 - All Actions". United States Congress. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  13. ^ Kasperowicz, Pete (7 October 2013). "Monday:Government shutdown enters second week". The Hill. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  14. ^ a b Maze, Rick (3 October 2013). "Guard, Reserve pay protection bill passes House". Air Force Times. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  15. ^ a b Press Release. "House Passes Bill to Pay National Guard and Reserves". Speaker of the House's website. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  16. ^ Press Release (8 October 2013). "Roby: "Pay Our Military Act" Demonstrates Stopgap Funding Measures Can Work". WTVY. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  17. ^ Schmidlkofer, C.M. (9 October 2013). "Indiana National Guard: federal technicians recalled to duty". Shelby News. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
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