[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 53 (Thursday, April 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E624-E625]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  H.R. 1799--THE GUARDSMEN AND RESERVISTS FINANCIAL RELIEF ACT OF 2003

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                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 2004

  Ms. SANCHEZ of California. I would like to express my strong support 
for H.R. 1779, the Guardsmen and Reservists Financial Relief Act of 
2003. This bill would allow penalty-free withdrawals from retirement 
plans during the period that a military reservist or national guardsman 
is called to active duty for an extended period.
  It is now more important than ever to work to mitigate the financial 
hardship we are placing on our reservists. At the outset of Operation 
Iraqi Freedom, both the White House and Department of Defense spoke of 
swiftly achieving victory in Iraq and bringing our servicemembers home 
within a few short months.
  Despite the valorous efforts of our military personnel, it is clear 
that we are facing a very different picture. According to DOD, 
stabilizing and ultimately winning the peace in Iraq will require the 
mobilization of at least 100,000 to 150,000 reserve component personnel 
annually for the next several years. Reserve component personnel 
comprise nearly 40 percent of our current force, whereas they only 
comprised 2.0 percent of the initial force used in the invasion.
  In light of the tragic upsurge in violence over the last month, 
20,000 soldiers recently learned that their year-long deployments to 
Iraq had been extended for an additional 3 months. Nearly one-fourth 
are reservists.
  It is apparent that our success in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in the 
broader war on terrorism, is dependent on the continued commitment of 
our reservists. And I don't think we are doing enough right now to 
ensure that they are being adequately compensated for their sacrifice.
  According to GAO, nearly 41 percent of reservists are impacted by a 
pay discrepancy between his or her military and civilian salary. This 
is taking its toll. Not only are families racking up credit card debt, 
falling behind on bills, and losing businesses, but many are grappling 
with not re-enlisting when their service is up.
  And the fear of financial hardship may be hurting recruiting efforts. 
In 2003, every active and reserve component achieved its recruiting 
goals except the Army National Guard, which fell short of its 
recruiting goal by 7,798 (12.6 percent).
  We must begin to alleviate the financial burden on reservists, and I 
believe this bill is an important step in the right direction. However, 
it is not enough. Simply allowing our reservists to raid their 
retirement is not the answer.
  We must provide better re-enlistment bonuses, we must secure the 
extension of TRICARE benefits, we must secure the continuation of 
hazardous duty pay and family separation allowance, and we must 
continue to push for pay raises for our military families.

[[Page E625]]

In short, we must do everything in our power to compensate our 
guardsmen and reservists for their unprecedented sacrifice.

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