Federal Employees

"We gather this afternoon to pay tribute to a group of Americans whose dedication to public service knew no earthly bounds

MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP

If Congress fails to act, two weeks from today, the Republican policy known as sequestration will take effect. Sequestration's extreme, arbitrary, across-the-board spending cuts would severely damage our recovering economy and threaten our national security. For the past eight weeks, House Republicans have failed to bring a single piece of legislation to the Floor to prevent sequestration from happening.

“Mr. Speaker, there is not time to debate in the time I have available how we determine federal pay. I was a sponsor of the Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act, which [President] George Bush signed back in 1990. I know a little bit about this. But America is confronting a sequestration that will have devastating impact on our economy, on every individual in America and on international confidence in America's ability to manage itself. And what have we spent two days on? A quarter percent cap on cost-of-living adjustment for federal employees. A quarter of a percent.

This week, House Republicans are wasting time and taxpayer dollars on yet another bill that targets middle-class federal employees. Instead of working on a comprehensive plan to prevent sequestration and reduce the deficit in a balanced way, Republicans are continuing their attack on the federal workforce by freezing their pay for the third year in a row.

"What the Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act does, that I have pointed out to you was adopted in a bipartisan way, working with the OMB, OPM, and the first Bush Administration.

I am pleased the Obama Administration is proposing to reestablish the principle of pay parity between military personnel and federal civilian employees, which is a recognition of the critical contributions that both groups make to the defense and well being of our nation. 

“I am extremely disappointed that once again Republicans are proposing to delay sequestration by solely targeting middle-class federal employees, rather than working with Democrats on a comprehensive solution to reduce the deficit and replace the sequester. These hard working Americans have already contributed $103 billion towards deficit reduction, yet Republicans continue to single them out and place the burden of deficit reduction solely on their shoulders. From defending our nation to promoting the safety and well-being of Americans, federal workers provide countless services to our country. It is simply unfair and unwise to target America’s public servants after they have already accepted a two-year pay freeze, an increased pension contribution, and a reduction and delay of a cost-of-living-adjustment this year.

“I think it's unfortunate that now for two and a half years the only working people - the only working people - in America who have received a freeze or decrease or have contributed to solving the debt crisis which confronts us, with which the Gentleman and I agree, are federal workers. I’m not talking about Members of Congress. I'm not talking about the President or the Vice President. The President doesn't get a COLA adjustment, obviously. But it's a cost of living adjustment, and I will say to my friend that I have worked over the last 20 years with his counterparts, either in the majority or minority to ensure we made the distinction so people understood and didn't demagogue that issue. I regret that we are doing so here again.”