Goodlatte applauds President Trump for signing bill funding Secret Service overtime pay into law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, April 4th, President Trump signed into law the Secret Service Recruitment and Retention Act (H.R. 3731). This bipartisan bill, authored by Congressman John Katko (R-N.Y.), ensures that the men and women of the United States Secret Service are paid for the overtime they worked in 2017 and 2018. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) applauded today’s action on this important bill in the statement below:

“Today, President Trump signed into law a bipartisan bill to ensure that the men and women of the Secret Service are rightfully compensated for the work they do. Every day, Secret Service agents selflessly put their lives on the line to keep the President, other protectees, and the White House complex safe from harm. Ongoing threats and responsibilities have placed a strain on the Secret Service’s resources and many agents have had to work overtime without being paid due to constraints in current law. The Secret Service’s mission is critical, and it is imperative that its employees are paid for the work they do to keep our country safe. I thank Congressman Katko for his work on this important bill and applaud President Trump for signing it into law quickly.”

Background: The Secret Service has reported that more than 1,000 agents, which is a third of their workforce, have maxed-out their annual overtime and salary under the pay cap set under current law, which prohibits agents from being paid for overtime after reaching the maximum annual salary for the pay rate of GS-15. The Secret Service Recruitment and Retention Act allows the Secret Service to pay additional overtime for last year and this year. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on what the agency has done to implement the recommendations of the United States Secret Service Protective Mission Panel, particularly any actions related to addressing training and personnel challenges.