Visclosky Pushes to Fund Lost Income for National Guard and Reserve Soldiers

December 13, 2005

Visclosky Pushes to Fund Lost Income for National Guard and Reserve Soldiers

In letter to Armed Services Committee Leaders, Visclosky supports provision that provides income replacement to soldiers who encounter income loss during extended mobilizations

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Pete Visclosky today called on House Armed Service Committee leaders to provide income replacement payments of up to $3,000 per month to members of the National Guard and Reserve who encounter an income loss during extended mobilizations. According to Visclosky, the men and women who serve our country in uniform should not be punished financially for serving their country.

"Our soldiers have done everything that's been asked of them, and they've done so while serving in harm's way, thousands of miles away from family and friends. Now it is time for the U.S. to make sure our soldiers and their families are not punished because of their service to our country."

Visclosky said it is vital for House Armed Service Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter and Ranking Member Ike Skelton to support this income loss provision, as the Senate has already included the provision in the FY 2006 Defense Authorization Bill, which is currently in conference and expected to be passed in the coming weeks.

In a letter to the Armed Service Committee leaders, Visclosky and 52 other Members of Congress pointed out that this provision will provide critical assistance to the members of the National Guard and Reserve serving in Iraq and Afghanistan whose families, in some cases, are struggling to keep up with mortgage, car, child care, and education payments on substantially less income than they enjoyed as civilians prior to extended deployments. 51% of the members of the National Guard and Reserve report that they suffer a loss of income when mobilized for long periods of active duty because their military pay is less than their civilian pay. The average financial hardship for National Guard and Reservists is $4,400 per year, and 10% report losing more than $2,500 a month.

"The inclusion of this provision in the final conference report is essential to the continued prosecution of our war on terrorism, to preserving our National Guard and Reserve as a vital force in defending our country, and defending our moral obligation to those who defend our nation," wrote Visclosky and the Congressional delegation. "If adopted, it will help those citizens who have placed themselves in harm's way at our bidding from being forced to choose between doing right by their loved ones and doing right by our country."

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/in01_visclosky/Income_Loss_for_Reserve.html