Political Quotes

“it is with some measure of frustration that I rise to again introduce the Reservist Pay Security Act. This bill allows members of the National Guard and Reserve who are Federal employees to maintain their normal salary when called to active duty by having Federal agencies make up the difference between their military pay and what they would have earned at their Federal civilian job. This is not a radical concept. Many of the major employers in America offer a similar benefit for their employees in the Guard and Reserve who are mobilized and, due to lower military pay, suffer a loss of income. Companies such as Ford, General Motors, IBM, 3M and, in my own State of Illinois, Sears, as well as the Illinois State government and that of 23 other States provide this same exact security for their workers. Why do they do this? For two reasons: First, These employers are patriotic members of American society who want to step up and do their part for the country while it is engaged in a war. Second, they want to send a clear message to their employees that they are valued where they work and that the organization is looking forward to their return. The Department of Defense operates a highly respected program known as Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve, or ESGR, which pays tribute to more than 900 such patriotic employers.…”