[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1229-E1230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE UNIFORMED DIVISION MODERNIZATION ACT OF 
                                  2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 28, 2010

  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.

[[Page E1230]]



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