[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17388]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        S. 1691: ``BORDER PATROL AGENT PAY REFORM ACT OF 2014''

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CANDICE S. MILLER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 9, 2014

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1691, 
the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014.
  This measure would replace the current antiquated overtime system 
used by the Border Patrol and create a new pay system that results in 
more hours worked on the border, provides more reliable schedules and 
paychecks for agents, and saves taxpayers millions of dollars each 
year.
  As Chairman of the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, I have 
been focused on increasing border security efforts along our long and 
porous border and supporting the men and women of the U.S. Border 
Patrol who defend our nation against drug and human smugglers and 
others who would do us harm.
  This measure supports that effort.
  The men and women who secure our borders often work alone, in very 
remote locations on the border. They cannot simply punch a clock at the 
end of their shift if they are in pursuit of illicit border crossers. 
Instead they work irregular hours to track and apprehend dangerous 
criminal aliens.
  This bill will allow front line supervisors to better manage agents' 
work schedules, saving taxpayers millions of dollars each year. In 
fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill will save 
taxpayers up to $100 million a year.
  Last year, the Office of Special Counsel issued a scathing report 
about the misuse and abuse of the current overtime system by Customs 
and Border Protection. This legislation will end such abuse in the 
future, at the same time increasing the number of hours the Border 
Patrol can secure the border, which is the equivalent of adding an 
additional 1,500 Border Patrol agents.
  With additional hours on the border, our nation will be more secure 
as additional agent hours will help gain control of the border, carry 
out additional law enforcement missions, and apprehend dangerous 
criminals.
  Mr. Speaker, the mission carried out by the men and women of the 
Border Patrol is extremely dangerous--more than one hundred agents have 
given their lives protecting our nation.
  We owe it to them to give them a stable, predicable paycheck that 
takes into account the irregular nature of the arduous work they do 
every day on the border.
  So, I want to commend the leadership of the Chief of the Border 
Patrol, Michael Fisher, and the Deputy Chief of the Border Patrol, 
Ronald Viteillo, for their commitment to finding sustainable reforms 
for agent pay, while also improving the security of our border.
  I urge my colleagues to support this common sense bill that saves the 
taxpayers millions of dollars.

                          ____________________