[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2396]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE DHS EMPLOYEE RETROACTIVE PAY ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Beyer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, in 3 short days, absent congressional 
action, funding for the Department of Homeland Security will lapse and 
the Department will be forced to shut down. Should this be allowed, the 
vast majority of the DHS workforce will be required to work without pay 
until a funding agreement is reached. The remainder--more than 30,000 
dedicated individuals--will be furloughed with no guarantee of backpay.
  Congress must act immediately to enact legislation that would fully 
fund the Department and allow these men and women who live and work in 
every district in every State to continue to carry out the critical 
message of keeping our Nation healthy, safe, and strong.
  But in the absence of such action, with time running dangerously 
short, DHS employees, at the very least, must be assured that there is 
an agreement in Congress that they will receive their full pay in a 
fair and timely manner. That is why I, along with my friend and 
colleague from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), have introduced the DHS Employee 
Retroactive Pay Fairness Act. This bipartisan proposal ensures that all 
Federal DHS employees receive retroactive pay for the duration of any 
shutdown, regardless of furlough status.
  Madam Speaker, as we wait for Congress to do its job, we should not 
stop the men and women of DHS from doing theirs. We must guarantee they 
receive pay and that they not become collateral damage of Congress' 
refusal to reach an agreement.

                          ____________________