Florida Governor Asks Senate Not to Cut National Guard Pay

Florida Governor Rick Scott asked his state's two senators, Sen. Bill Nelson and Sen. Marco Rubio, not to allow sequestration budget cuts to lower National Guard pay by 20% this Wednesday. Scott wrote Rubio and Nelson a letter requesting that the Senators pressure the Office of Budget and Management and the Defense Department to restore National Guard funding.

As a result of across-the-board sequestration cuts passed by Congress in 2011, the budgets of defense programs that coordinate National Guard activity in every state have been dramatically reduced.

However, the Senators have jointly denied Gov. Scott's request, and it seems as if the pay cuts will go ahead.

This could be especially devastating as the state of Florida often relies on Guardsmen and women to respond to natural disasters.  And forecasters predict that 7 to 11 hurricanes and 13 to 20 storms with winds over 39 mph will occur this season.

Florida Senate President Don Gaetz agreed with Gov. Scott in a public statement yesterday: "Isn't it the height of irony to say, "Thank you for your service and, by the way, we’re cutting your pay when you’re coming home from a war zone." He added that he will continue to search for ways to get the attention of the federal government.

With sequestration cuts affecting National Guard programs and military families across the country, there is no better time to help our servicemen and women.

American Jobs for American Heroes is a campaign working to make sure military veterans and spouses have the resources and opportunities to find the jobs that they need to support their families during these hard times. More than 3.5 million have benefited from the program's job training and recruiter placement services, but many more still need our help. To learn more about the program please visit our website today.