[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 140 (Wednesday, October 17, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1916]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HIGH-DEPLOYMENT PER DIEM/OVERTIME

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                        HON. CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 17, 2001

  Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, it was expected that later this week we 
would be taking up an economic stimulus bill. I've heard about all 
sorts of benefits being included, from loan guarantees and tax cuts, to 
increasing health insurance and unemployment assistance. However, one 
un-stimulating provision was imposed by President Bush last week.
  As Congress deemed fit last year, each branch of the military was to 
count the days each service member was deployed, and to pay them a high 
deployment per diem of $100 per day for each day over 400 days in two 
years that they are deployed. On October 8, the Pentagon suspended this 
pay.
  As we send our sons and daughters overseas to participate in our war 
in Afghanistan, why should we cut away their high deployment pay? More 
than any other period in their service, we are asking more of them--to 
be in harms way, to be away from their families, to be in the greatest 
service to our nation. This is when they are truly earning overtime.
  Mr. Chairman, our service men and women need to know that we support 
them and that their service is important to our nation, and we need to 
support their morale. While we pass tax cuts for corporations and 
increase benefits for the unemployed, we must assist and applaud our 
service personnel as well. We must pay our service men and women the 
overtime they are owed. I don't think anyone disputes that they have 
earned it.

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