Border Patrol Union Praises House Passage of Landmark Pay Reform Bill

Hard-won legislation will provide officers with fair and equitable pay system and reduce costs

News provided by

American Federation of Government Employees

Dec 10, 2014, 01:36 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 16,500 Border Patrol agents and support staff, applauded the House today for passing legislation to reform the Border Patrol pay system. This milestone came after years of concerted effort by the union and bipartisan supporters in both chambers of Congress.

"The current pay system simply is not in alignment with the demands our border security places on our agents, and the mission has suffered as a result," said AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. "This reform is absolutely crucial for bringing stability and predictability to Border Patrol pay and will make a huge, positive contribution to our agents' ability to provide the most effective border security."

"We are proud of the tremendous effort our members exerted to get this legislation through the Senate and House in a time when there is little consensus on much else," AFGE National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said. "Agents put their safety on the line to keep our country safe, and this reform ensures the black cloud of AUO will finally be lifted and replaced with a stable and predictable pay system."

AFGE President Cox also praised the bipartisan law as an example of what can be achieved when legislators cooperate:

"Democrats and Republicans worked side-by-side to give our Border Patrol agents the fair and equitable pay they deserve," Cox said. "AFGE would not allow this issue to fall victim to the partisan gridlock that has stifled so many critical government programs in recent years. Thanks to all who dedicated their time and effort to delivering this key victory for our agents and national security, including Sens. Jon Tester of Montana, John McCain of Arizona, and Tom Carper of Delaware; and Representatives Jason Chaffetz of Utah, Darrell Issa of California, Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia, Beto O'Rourke of Texas, and Yvette Clark of New York."

Click here to learn more about the Border Patrol Pay Reform legislation.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 670,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia, including 16,500 employees of the United States Border Patrol.

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SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees