The Supreme Court will rehear a group of cases concerning the pay of civilian federal employees who also serve in the military reserves. These reservists argue they should continue receiving their regular federal salary, even when their military pay is lower if they are called to active duty during a national emergency.
The cases, known as Feliciano v. Department of Transportation, Nordby v. Social Security Administration, and Flynn v. Department of State, center on a law passed after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This law ensured reservists wouldn’t lose income when their military pay fell short of their civilian salary during deployments.
The legal debate hinges on how broadly this law applies. A lower court ruled reservists only qualify for higher pay if their deployment is directly connected to the specific emergency.
Reservists and their advocates disagree. They argue the lower court’s interpretation is too narrow and leaves them financially vulnerable during deployments, especially when the reason for their call-up is unclear.
The Supreme Court’s decision could significantly impact the finances of reservists called to active duty during national emergencies.