[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 10, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E848]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              THE NATIONAL GUARD EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE COFFMAN

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 10, 2011

  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand before you 
today to reintroduce the National Guard Employment Protection Act.
  I created this legislation in order to extend the same reemployment 
rights for all of our National Guard personnel, regardless of whether 
they are assigned to a homeland security mission or deployed overseas 
to Iraq or Afghanistan. Under current law, the members of the National 
Guard who are called up for active duty in support of homeland security 
missions inside the United States are not provided the same 
reemployment rights to their civilian occupations that other members of 
the National Guard and Reserve have when they are called to active duty 
for overseas military assignments.
  There is no doubt that the soldiers and the airmen serving in the 
National Guard must have the same reemployment rights irrespective of 
where they are ordered to serve. The bill recognizes that those who are 
called up for homeland security missions can face the same hardships 
and challenges in trying to return to their civilian employment as 
someone who has been away from their civilian occupation due to an 
overseas military assignment.
  With the passage of this law, National Guard members will no longer 
have to worry about being put into a position where they are forced to 
choose between retaining their civilian employment or serving our 
Nation in a critical homeland security mission.
  I would like to thank Delegate Madeleine Bordallo, Representative 
Harper and Representative Roe for co-sponsoring again. I urge the 
passage of this legislation.

                          ____________________