Media Contact:  Patrick Wright   --  Patrick.Wright@mail.house.gov

Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee, voted for a bill today to provide full-time employment status to reservists with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during mandatory, emergency deployments.  The bill, the Civilian Reservist Emergency Workforce (CREW) Act (S. 2293), protects reservists from losing their civilian jobs, income and other full-time employment benefits while fighting to protect Americans from forest fires and other natural disasters.  It would provide similar job security afforded to military personnel during deployments to FEMA emergency personnel.     

“FEMA reservists should not fear losing their full-time employment when they are saving lives,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr.  “In New Jersey, I have seen FEMA reservists answer the call to service at all hours of the day to help Americans through national emergencies, like Hurricanes Sandy and Ida.  They are there for us and we need to give them the job security they need to continue this courageous work.  I am proud that this legislation guarantees that reservists do not have to choose between their careers and emergency service to protect Americans.”        

Original source can be found here.