Secret Service Staff May Not Receive Overtime Pay

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. around the clock / əˈraʊnd ðəˈklɒk / (idiom) – all day and all night
    Example:

    I don’t want to work around the clock without getting paid for it.


  2. deficit / ˈdɛf ə sɪt / (n) – an amount that is less than what is required
    Example:

    The government’s budget has a deficit of $1 million.


  3. accessibility / æk sɛs əˈbɪl ə ti / (n) – the quality of being easy to reach
    Example:

    The building has low accessibility because it is in a remote area.


  4. incur / ɪnˈkɜr / (v) – to cause something harmful to happen to oneself
    Example:

    The department incurred some losses after the budget cut.


  5. relatively / ˈrɛl ə tɪv li / (adv) – in comparison to something
    Example:

    For some people, caring for five children seems relatively more difficult than being a CEO.


Article

Read the text below.

Thousands of US Secret Service staff will not be receiving overtime pay starting October.


Despite working around the clock to protect the president, thousands of staff will not be receiving their full salary due to funding deficit. The Secret Service Director said that this was a result of an increase in operational costs and the high cost of protecting President Donald Trump’s family.


Currently, the Secret Service protects 42 people 24/7. This includes the president, the vice president, other top officials, and their families. Among the 42, 18 are members of the presidential family.


Security is provided for Trump’s adult children during their business trips and vacations abroad. Moreover, additional security is required for Trump’s wife and youngest child who live separately from him. They live in the Trump Tower in New York, which is a commercial location with high accessibility.


Higher costs are also incurred because the president has frequent travels to his resort home in Florida. Each trip is estimated to cost around $3 million.


The Trump administration is currently incurring high security expenses because the presidential family members do not live together. On the contrary, former president Barack Obama incurred relatively lower security expenses because he lived with his family members and only had one retreat home in Chicago.


Despite the budget deficits in the current administration, the Secret Service director clarified that the issue has been around for years and did not begin with the Trump administration. The White House is hoping to discuss the issue to ensure proper compensation for the Secret Service.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Should the US Secret service demand for their full compensation or accept the situation as a free service for the country? Explain.
• Given the situation, what do you think the president should do? Explain.

Discussion B

• What kind of protection should a country’s leader have (e.g. private guards, police)? Discuss.
• If you were also an important figure, would you like to have the same kind of security? Discuss.