[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 96 (Thursday, June 30, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S4264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Military Pay

  I wish to talk about a bill I have introduced that has 80 cosponsors.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to add Senator Heller of 
Nevada to be a cosponsor of S. 724.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I thank the Chair.
  S. 724 is the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011. There are 80 
cosponsors of this legislation. It is very simple and straightforward. 
It ensures that in the event of a government shutdown, our Nation's men 
and women in uniform would continue to receive their military pay and 
allowances. That is what it does. This legislation will protect all 
Active-Duty men and women, including those in the Coast Guard and 
Reserve components.
  I introduced this bill earlier this year because we were in the 
process of having a meltdown with our appropriations. We need to have a 
law that assures if there is a shutdown, whether it is on an 
appropriations issue or on a budget issue or on a debt ceiling issue, 
we know where the money will go--where the protections will be. I think 
our military should be front and center. I also think Social Security 
recipients should be front and center, but this bill is for the 
military because they are in harm's way as we speak in many places 
around the globe and we don't want to disrupt their families or have 
them worry for 1 minute about their families while they are doing their 
duty.
  These military families have faced stress from repeated deployments 
since 9/11. The last thing they should worry about is not receiving 
their paycheck on time because Congress and the President have not been 
able to do the job they need to do.
  Immediately after introducing this bill, I was contacted by a 
military spouse. Her husband was on his 10th deployment in support of 
operations in the Middle East. The spouse was at home raising their 1-
year-old son. She was very concerned about whether she was going to be 
able to pay her bills. Multiply that story by many thousands and one 
can imagine the stress of these families across our Nation who have 
loved ones in harm's way. This should not be compounded by adding an 
unnecessary financial stress that is the fault of a Congress unable to 
pass an appropriations bill or a Congress and President unable to reach 
an agreement to cut our deficit so the debt ceiling will not have to be 
raised again.
  At a time when our Nation has 100,000 troops in Afghanistan and 
45,000 in Iraq, it would be unconscionable to ask our troops to serve 
on the front lines without ontime pay. From my home State of Texas, 
there are more than 28,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines 
currently deployed. This is second only to California in the highest 
number of deployed troops from one State.
  I would like to especially recognize the soldiers from the 36th 
Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard. They are currently 
serving in the southern region of Iraq and are doing a great job. These 
brave Texans are working long hours in the extreme heat, facing a 
dangerous enemy. But the most remarkable aspect of their service is 
they all raised their hands to volunteer to do it. The very least we 
can do is pay them on time. It would be tremendously damaging for 
morale to tell our troops to go on long deployments, maybe multiple 
deployments, away from their families, and then not pay them at the 
normal time.
  I know if there is one thing this Congress can agree on, it is our 
tremendous pride and support for the brave men and women in uniform. I 
think Congress has shown that time and time again. We all learned a 
lesson after what happened during the Vietnam war and after the Vietnam 
war, when the disagreement about the policies of the war were actually 
imputed to those who were following orders to implement that war. We 
will never let that happen again. It hasn't happened since, and it will 
not happen. There is not one Member of Congress who doesn't respect our 
military and the service they are giving--even if they disagree with 
the policies, which many often do. So I wasn't surprised when I 
introduced this bill to get 80 cosponsors immediately.
  It is becoming clear that negotiations on a long-term deficit 
reduction plan may go down to the wire. The President said yesterday he 
will insist on tax increases to pay for a continued Federal spending 
spree. Republicans are clear: We must lower government spending to 
affordable levels, and there must be fundamental changes in how 
Washington spends the American taxpayer dollars. Now is the time for 
Congress to vote to assure that our troops will not miss a paycheck due 
to gridlock in Washington, not at midnight on August 2 or whenever we 
are adjourning, hopefully, for a recess so Members can get home and 
work in their districts.
  If the Senate cancels its July 4 holiday recess--which is now on the 
books--it is time for us to spend that time on nothing else but this 
issue--long-term deficit reduction. We should start our work by making 
sure we have a plan B that our troops and their families will not be 
political pawns in the struggle between raising taxes and cutting 
spending. If we are here, it should be for one purpose and one purpose 
only; that is, debt reduction and the preparation for what happens if 
that deadline passes and there is not an agreement.
  I can't think of a better way to say we are preparing for the worst 
while we are hoping for the best, and that is that we make sure certain 
essentials are done.
  Obviously, interest on the debt is our first obligation. The second 
one is to pay our military personnel who are overseas, who are 
deployed, and to make sure they are not worrying about their families 
at home having the money to pay the mortgage and the bills that must be 
paid on top.
  So I hope the Senate will take up this bill, and I am going to ask 
that we consider the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011 is on 
the agenda if we are in session next week. That seems to be what is in 
the works right now. If that is the case, let's do something 
productive. I can't think of something more productive and more 
reassuring to our military than to pass S. 724, with 80 cosponsors. If 
it comes to the floor, it is going to pass. It will go to the House, 
and I assure you it will pass.
  So let's start that process. If we are going to be here next week and 
a lot of plans are going to be disrupted, we are willing to do that. 
But let's make it worthwhile by passing significant legislation, such 
as ensuring that our military is paid on time if for any reason we are 
looking at a government shutdown.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.