House Agrees to Make Up Pay for Reservists

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House Agrees to Make Up Pay for Reservists
By Molly K. Hooper, CQ Staff

House employees called up for extended active duty would be compensated for their lost income under a bill the House passed Thursday.

The bill (HR 6608), which passed by voice vote after being postponed for much of the week, would direct the House to provide the difference in pay between a staff member's House salary and military pay when the staff member is on active duty for more than 30 days.

Employees must be on the House payroll for at least 90 days to be eligible for the benefit.

Bill sponsor Robert A. Brady, D-Pa., who chairs the House Administration Committee, said the extra salary would not be deducted from office allowances but from some other "appropriate account."

The bill does not apply to Senate staff. By tradition, each chamber makes the decisions that apply to its own employees.