SCOTUS debates 'survival' of US in dispute over military reservists' job protections
ABC News
The Biden administration warned the Supreme Court that the "survival of the nation is at stake" in a dispute with Texas over job protection for military reservists.
The Biden administration on Tuesday warned the U.S. Supreme Court that "survival of the nation is at stake" in a dispute with the state of Texas over a federal law meant to protect military service members from job discrimination after completing a tour of duty.
The case involves a former Texas state trooper and Army reservist, Le Roy Torres, who was deployed in 2007 to Iraq, where he suffered lung damage from exposure to burn pits. Upon return to civilian life, Torres was effectively forced out of his old job after the troopers refused to accommodate his medical condition.
The government says the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, enacted by Congress in 1994, gives military reservists and National Guard members the ability to sue employers who deny them the right to return to work after serving the country.
The Pentagon says the mechanism is critical for recruitment of an all-volunteer force that is increasingly reliant on National Guard members and reservists.
