Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.) praised Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Monday for his decision to call furloughed defense employees back to work.
“It was so unnecessary for these active duty members of our National Guard to ever be furloughed,” Miller said. “Particularly after the passage of the Pay Our Military Act which should have stopped furloughs for any active duty military members.”
Miller was one of 88 members of the House who signed a bipartisan letter addressed to Hagel requesting he remove members of the National Guard from furlough status.
The Pay Our Military Act was passed by Congress and signed by the president on Sept. 30 in anticipation of the government shutdown.
“Every unnecessarily furloughed member of the Guard based at Selfridge [Army National Guard Base] will be recalled to duty,” Miller said.
Approximately 900 members of Michigan’s National Guard forces were furloughed when the federal government shutdown, with approximately 650 furloughed members stationed at Selfridge ANGB.
Miller said she voted in favor of the Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act, which would allow appropriations to pay members of the military on inactive duty during training. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support and awaits approval in the Senate.