Blunt, colleagues introduce Bipartisan Intelligence Community Workforce Agility Protection Act

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, helped introduce the Intelligence Community Workforce Agility Protection Act of 2021.

Currently, active duty members of the military can deduct certain moving expenses from their federal taxes, but that benefit does not extend to intelligence community professionals. The bipartisan bill would expand the treatment of moving expenses to employees and new appointees in the intelligence community who must relocate pursuant to a change in assignment. The bill was introduced by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (Fla.). In addition to Blunt, original cosponsors of the legislation include U.S. Senators Mark Warner (VA), Richard Burr (NC), Ben Sasse (NB), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Martin Heinrich (NM), Angus King (ME), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Susan Collins (ME), Ron Wyden (OR), Michael Bennet (CO), Jim Risch (ID), Bob Casey (PA), and Tom Cotton (AR).

“The men and women in our nation’s intelligence community work incredibly hard to keep our country safe,” said Blunt. “This bill helps address one of the significant challenges that comes with a career in the intelligence community and I’m proud to support it.”

“We ask a lot from the men and women who serve our nation, especially those in the intelligence community,” said Rubio. “Extending this benefit to those who sacrifice so much in defense of our nation is common sense.”

“Like the men and women of our armed forces, our intelligence community professionals go to extraordinary lengths to serve and protect their country,” said Warner. “They often uproot their lives to go serve where they are needed – no matter where that may be. This commonsense legislation will ensure that these brave Americans are not forced to pay out of pocket for the costs of their relocations.”

“The work done by the men and women of our Intelligence Community is vital to our national security,” said Burr. “This commonsense benefit will allow us to continue building an agile and vibrant IC workforce.”

“This legislation won’t take away from our active duty military men and women, but it will return this benefit to those serving in the intelligence community,” said Sasse. “These men and women work hard to keep our country safe, the least we can do is make sure they have this benefit.”

“Members of the intelligence community devote their lives to serving our country and they deserve our support,” said Gillibrand. “Enabling the intelligence community to deduct moving expenses from their federal taxes is a simple, but important, provision that honors their dedication.”

“Rank and file Intelligence professionals do the hard work to keep our country safe from foreign threats,” said Wyden. “It’s common sense to provide this benefit that other national security professionals receive to IC workers.”