,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ee  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of    
,,representatives  ,january #c1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,fitzpatrick introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and 
in addition to the ,committees on       
,transportation and ,infrastructure1    
,armed ,services1 and the ,judiciary1   
for a period to be subsequently         
determined by the ,speaker1 in each case
 for consideration of such provisions as
 fall within the jurisdiction of the    
committee concerned  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
prioritize the payment of pay and       
allowances to members of the ,armed     
,forces and ,federal law enforcement    
officers in the event the debt ceiling  
is reached or there is a funding gap4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,strengthening ,homeland        
,security1 ,intelligence1 and ,essential
 ,law ,enforcement ,departments ,act of 
#bjac or the ,,shield ,act of #bjac4    
#b4 ,findings ,congress finds the       

following3  7#a7 ,the ,united ,states   
,armed ,forces represent the finest     
fighting force in the world4  7#b7 ,an  
interruption in compensation could      
affect morale and cause hardship which  
would threaten ,united ,states security 
and the safety of our troops4  7#c7 ,it 
is a vital national interest that the   
,united ,states ,armed ,forces1         
including reserve components1 can       
operate with the assurance that they    
will continue to receive pay and        
allowances for their service if a       
funding gap occurs4  7#d7 ,federal law  
enforcement officers are highly trained 
and dedicated men and women1 committed  
to protecting liberty1 public safety1   
and the security of our ,nation from    
both foreign and domestic threats4  7#e7
 ,they have no equal in the private     
sector1 and perform a role that is both 
unique and vital to the continuing      
operation of the ,federal ,government   
and commerce during times of crisis4    
7#f7 ,each and every day1 ,federal law  

enforcement officers are engaged around 
the clock in activities that include1   
but are not limited to1 dignitary       
protection1 criminal investigation1     
homeland security1 border security1     
intelligence gathering1 and fighting    
waste1 fraud and abuse4  7#g7 ,these    
critical ,government functions cannot be
 interrupted due to an absence of       
,congressional appropriations or during 
periods of a ,government shutdown1 nor  
can we expect that the threats posed by 
violent criminals1 terrorists and       
,america's enemies will lessen during   
such periods of fiscal uncertainty4  #c4
 ,priority payments if the debt ceiling 
is reached for defense and ,federal law 
enforcement ,in the event that the total
 public debt reaches the public debt    
limit1 as established under section     
#caja of title #ca1 ,united ,states     
,code1 the following payments on        
obligations incurred by the ,government 
of the ,united ,states shall be made3   
7#a7 ,the pay and allowances of members 

of the ,army1 ,navy1 ,air ,force1       
,marine ,corps1 and ,coast ,guard1      
including reserve components thereof1   
who perform active service4  7#b7 ,the  
pay and allowances of critical law      
enforcement officers who are employed by
 ,federal agencies4  #d4 ,emergency     
appropriations of funds for defense and 
,federal law enforcement during a       
funding gap  7a7 ,appropriation of funds
 for military pay and allowances ,during
 a period of lapsed appropriations for  
the ,armed ,forces1 the ,secretary of   
the ,treasury shall make available to   
the ,secretary of ,defense 7and the     
,secretary of ,homeland ,security in the
 case of the ,coast ,guard71 out of any 
amounts in the general fund of the      
,treasury not otherwise appropriated1   
such amounts as the ,secretary of       
,defense 7and the ,secretary of         
,homeland ,security in the case of the  
,coast ,guard7 determines to be         
necessary to continue to provide pay and
 allowances 7without interruption7 to   

members of the ,army1 ,navy1 ,air       
,force1 ,marine ,corps1 and ,coast      
,guard1 including reserve components    
thereof1 who perform active service     
during the period of lapsed             
appropriations4  7b7 ,appropriation of  
funds for ,federal law enforcement      
officer pay and allowances ,during a    
period of lapsed appropriations for a   
federal agency that employs critical law
 enforcement officers1 the ,secretary of
 the ,treasury shall make available to  
the head of such agency1 out of any     
amounts in the general fund of the      
,treasury not otherwise appropriated1   
such amounts as the heads of such       
agencies determine to be necessary to   
continue to provide pay and allowances  
7without interruption7 to such critical 
law enforcement officers during the     
period of lapsed appropriations4  #e4   
,definitions ,in this ,act3  7#a7       
,critical law enforcement officer ,the  
term critical law enforcement officer   
means an employee--  7,a7 who has       

statutory authority to make arrests or  
apprehensions2  7,b7 who is authorized  
by the agency of the employee to carry  
firearms2 and  7,c7 whose duties include
 performing emergency work involving the
 safety of human life or the protection 
of property4  7#b7 ,period of lapsed    
appropriations ,the term period of      
lapsed appropriations means any period  
during which appropriations are not     
available due to the absence of the     
timely enactment of any ,act or joint   
resolution 7including any ,act or joint 
resolution making continuing            
appropriations7 appropriating funds for 
the payment of the pay and allowances4  
7#c7 ,total public debt ,the term total 
public debt has the meaning given such  
term in section #cacj of title #ca1     
,united ,states ,code4