Res. No. 834

Resolution supporting S.11, the “Standing With Our Troops Act of 2005,” and calling upon the United States Senate to pass said bill and for the House of Representatives to introduce and pass similar legislation.

By Council Members Nelson, Sears, James, Oddo, Vallone Jr., Stewart, Comrie, Gennaro, Yassky, Avella, Katz, Lopez, Addabbo Jr., Fidler, Gentile, Gerson, Jennings, Liu, Quinn, Sanders Jr. and Weprin

Whereas, There are an estimated 150,000 members of the United States Armed Forces currently engaged in military operations in Iraq, with another 16,000 serving in Afghanistan; and

Whereas, It is estimated that nearly 50% of the United States forces in Iraq is comprised of members of the reserves component of the Armed Forces who have been called to active duty; and

Whereas, Reservists, when activated, go from earning their civilian salary to receiving the same pay-rate as active-duty personnel, which is based on rank and experience and which, in 2004, started at $27,013 for enlisted personnel and $41,856 for officers; and

Whereas, According to the Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data Center, as of December 1, 2004 there were more than 7,400 New York reservists, including 2,406 from New York City, on activated status in the National Guard and Reserves; and

Whereas, According to a recent study released by United States Senator Charles E. Schumer, approximately 41% of New York military reservist families are losing significant amounts of income while they serve on active-duty status because their full-time employers do not pay them their salary while serving overseas; and

Whereas, In an effort to ease the economic hardships that many reservists encounter, Senator Schumer and other members of the Senate Democratic Leadership recently introduced S.11, the “Standing With Our Troops Act of 2005;” and

Whereas, The “Standing With Our Troops Act of 2005” would amend Title 10 of the United States Code, to ensure that the strength of the Armed Forces and the protections and benefits for members of the Armed Forces and their families are adequate to support military service members; and 

Whereas, The “Standing With Our Troops Act of 2005” includes provisions that would boost income security for the families of reservists serving on active duty and encourage small business employers to pay the difference between an activated employee’s civilian salary and their military pay while they serve on active duty; and

Whereas, The “Standing With Our Troops Act of 2005” would provide federal tax credits worth 50% of the salaries that employers continued to pay activated reservists, up to $15,000 per employee, which would be applied towards a company’s federal income taxes; and

  Whereas, The “Standing With Our Troops Act of 2005” would also provide small business owners with a $6,000 federal tax credit to help them hire temporary workers to fill-in for activated employees and a separate $10,000 credit for small manufacturers to hire temporary workers; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York supports S.11, the “Standing With Our Troops Act of 2005,” and calls upon the United States Senate to pass said bill and for the House of Representatives to introduce and pass similar legislation.

RA

LS#2387

2/8/2005

h:word/resolutions/nelson/ls#2387