Federal Employees
“Mr. Speaker, for civilian defense employees at Pax River Naval Air Station, Webster Field, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Indian Head, all of which I represent – and Mr. Jones, who's on the Floor, represents a substantial number as well in his district – sequestration hit home last week as furloughs began. The same is true for 650,000 civilian defense workers throughout our country.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
This week marked the beginning of civilian Defense Department employee furloughs, which are the result of Congress’ failure to replace the arbitrary and untargeted spending cuts known as the sequester. These furloughs undermine their ability to support our war-fighters and impede our ability to recruit and retain the qualified federal workforce our nation needs and expects.
This week, furloughs caused by the sequester went into effect for the civilian employees at the Department of Defense, forcing these middle-class workers, who help keep our nation safe and assist our war-fighters, to accept a 20 percent pay cut. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only victims of the sequester. Yesterday, the National Journal explained how the poorest people in our country are seeing some of the greater impact of these across-the-boa
“Mr. Speaker, beginning this week, literally hundreds of thousands of civilian workers are being furloughed, particularly at the defense installations in Maryland’s Fifth District, across the state, and around the country.
“Starting today, as a result of Congress’s failure to achieve a big and balanced solution to deficits, our national security and military readiness will be weakened as civilian workers are prevented from carrying out their important work because of furloughs.
As Congress returns to session this week, the hard-working civilians in the Department of Defense who keep our country safe are facing the beginning of furloughs as a result of the sequester. For those Republicans who’ve forgotten about the sequester or say it doesn’t have an impact, here’s a refresher of what it means to thousands of Americans:
“I am disappointed that House Republicans are once again asking Department of Veterans Affairs workers to forgo their annual cost-of-living adjustment for another year.
“I join in congratulating Dan Tangherlini on his nomination to serve as our next Administrator of the General Services Administration.
Today, House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined Congresswoman Linda Sánchez and 137 House Democrats in urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to confirm Tom Perez as the next Secretary of Labor.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a wonderful individual who has served our country in government service for many years and spent the last four overseeing our federal workforce as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management. I am speaking of my dear friend John Berry, who retired last week as Director of the Office of Personnel Management.