WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, lauded the passage of H.R. 6302, the Overtime Pay for Secret Service Agents Act of 2016, by the House of Representatives.
This bill would ensure that U.S. Secret Service agents will be compensated for overtime hours worked while on protective duty. On Friday, the Senate passed H.R. 6302 with an amendment by Senator Johnson, which ensures that the Uniformed and the Administrative Professional and Technical divisions of the U.S. Secret Service are also covered by the legislation.
Johnson said this after the bill’s passage:
“The workload in 2016 for Secret Service personnel was uniquely demanding, with agents working around the clock for weeks at a time,” said Johnson. “This resulted in hundreds of agents hitting their annual pay limits by late spring and causing them to spend the rest of 2016 working overtime shifts for free. While all Secret Service agents should be fairly compensated for their work, it is imperative that the agency better manage its workforce to ensure that it is prepared for the next presidential election.”
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