House advances bill to improve pay structure for border patrol agents

The U.S. House of Representatives advanced this week legislation to improve safety, scheduling, and compensation for Border Patrol agents.

The Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Amendment Act of 2018, sponsored by Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), addresses pay and scheduling issues that have impeded the ability of Customs and Border Protection to recruit and retain quality agents. The Border Patrol Union, which represents 15,000 CBP officers across the country, has endorsed the bill.

“Our most important border security resources are the brave men and women of our border patrol, and they should be properly compensated for the highly dangerous and demanding jobs they perform. These agents and their families deserve nothing short of certainty,” Hurd said. “I thank my colleagues for coming together in a bipartisan manner to support our Border Patrol today, and I will continue to stand tall in Congress for the folks who put their lives on the line each day to keep Americans safe.”

Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ), who cosponsored the bill, said she had heard the requests from border patrol agents for solutions to their compensation structure.

“As two of the nine members of Congress who represent southern border communities, we both fully understand the weight of responsibility we put on our agents,” McSally said. “Our legislation streamlines the overtime payment process for the men and women protecting our border while also allowing due compensation for the high-risk jobs they perform. This fix will help increase retention of our experienced agents and secure our border.”