Issa Workforce Reduction Bill Introduced

06/08/2011

6/8/11: Another anti-federal employee bill (H.R. 2114) has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Chairman Darrell Issa. Joining him as cosponsors of the bill are Representatives Dennis Ross (R-FL), Chairman of the Federal Workforce Subcommittee, and Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), former chair of that subcommittee. The measure arbitrarily seeks to slash the size of the federal workforce by 10 percent by 2015, claiming that this will somehow make government more efficient and save the taxpayers’ money. While the bill claims work will not be shifted to contractors, it opens an enormous loophole to allow new contracts when there is a claim of “financial advantage.”

The bill is flawed on many levels and NTEU strongly opposes it. This bill is a short-sighted proposal that would undermine the federal government’s ability to deliver vital services and endanger public health and safety. Whether defending our borders, protecting consumers and the environment, protecting our markets or keeping our food, water, and medicines safe, federal employees are doing work that is critical to the American way of life. This bill will diminish many key services that the American people depend on.

NTEU has long argued that federal employees did not create the deficit, and they should not be the only group required to solve the nation’s complicated problems.