[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 388 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 388

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives supporting Federal 
                               employees.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 22, 2013

 Ms. Fudge (for herself, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, 
  Mr. Cummings, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. 
 Veasey, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Hastings of Florida, 
 Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Holt, Ms. Brown of Florida, Ms. Lee of California, 
 Mr. Farr, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Norton, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mrs. 
     Beatty, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Watt, Mr. Payne, Mr. McGovern, Ms. 
Schakowsky, Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Rush, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Johnson 
of Georgia, Mr. Enyart, Ms. Shea-Porter, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
 Peterson, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Bass, Ms. Wilson of Florida, 
and Ms. Pingree of Maine) submitted the following resolution; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in 
    addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives supporting Federal 
                               employees.

Whereas for the 18 months between December 2007 and June 2009, the United States 
        economy experienced the longest and deepest recession of the post-World 
        War II era, and, despite a robust national recovery, many individuals, 
        families, and communities are still struggling to recover from that 
        recession;
Whereas Federal employees inspect the food we eat and the places we work, 
        prevent the flow of illicit drugs into our Nation, maintain the safety 
        of our Nation's borders, care for our Nation's veterans, deliver our 
        mail, and keep the national defense systems prepared to respond to any 
        threat to our safety;
Whereas Federal employees have already sacrificed nearly $100 billion over 10 
        years to help reduce the Federal Government's deficit by working under a 
        3-year pay freeze, which has lowered their lifetime earnings and 
        retirement income;
Whereas it has been proposed that pay of Federal employees be permanently 
        reduced by a total of 1.2 percent (phased in over a 3-year period 
        beginning in 2014) in order to finance their retirement benefits;
Whereas President Barack Obama has proposed raising the pay of Federal employees 
        by 0.5 percent for fiscal year 2013 and 1.0 percent for fiscal year 
        2014, so Federal employees' pay may keep pace with the rising cost of 
        living;
Whereas it has been proposed to decrease the annuity multiplier used to 
        determine Federal retirement benefits from 1.1 percent to 0.7 percent;
Whereas it has been proposed to eliminate the Federal Employees Retirement 
        System annuity supplement which is available to Federal employees who 
        meet full retirement eligibility but have not yet reached the age for 
        Social Security eligibility;
Whereas it has been proposed to index Social Security benefits to the Chained 
        Consumer Price Index, which would reduce the cost-of-living adjustments 
        that would otherwise apply to Federal annuities;
Whereas it has been proposed that any person who has a seriously delinquent tax 
        debt would be ineligible for Federal employment or to continue serving 
        as a Federal employee;
Whereas hiring by the Federal Government has dropped by one-third over the past 
        3 years as a result of budget cuts, with the number of new hires hitting 
        a 6-year low in 2012, representing a 37-percent decrease from 2009;
Whereas it has been proposed to limit the number of Federal employees to ensure 
        it does not exceed 90 percent of the total number of Federal employees 
        as of September 30, 2013;
Whereas it has been proposed to prohibit Federal agencies from hiring more than 
        1 employee for every 3 full-time employees who leave employment with 
        such agencies;
Whereas over 30,000 jobs in Federal agencies have been lost through attrition 
        since January 2012;
Whereas it has been proposed to convert the Federal Employees Health Benefits 
        Program into a voucher program that would gradually shift most of the 
        costs of health insurance to Federal and postal employees and retirees;
Whereas over 50 percent of the extension under Public Law 112-96 of the 
        unemployment insurance program, administered by the States under 
        Department of Labor oversight, was financed by an additional 2.3-percent 
        employee retirement contribution required for Federal and postal 
        employees hired in 2013 and later, resulting in an employee retirement 
        contribution increase of more than $600 per year on Federal employees 
        making an annual salary of $27,000 or more; and
Whereas some Federal employees have taken or will have to take furlough days as 
        a result of the sequester pursuant to Public Law 112-25; for example, 
        furloughs for certain Federal employees working at the Environmental 
        Protection Agency and the Department of Labor began in April 2013, and 
        the Department of Defense's 670,000 civilian workforce were furloughed 
        for 6 days by the end of fiscal year 2013: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) Congress and the President should end the pay freeze 
        for Federal employees, and should prevent any further cuts to 
        the pensions or benefits of Federal employees;
            (2) Federal employee contributions to their retirement 
        system should not be increased;
            (3) the annuity multiplier used to determine retirement 
        benefits for Federal employees should not be decreased;
            (4) the Federal Employees Retirement System annuity 
        supplement should not be eliminated, and Federal employees who 
        are eligible to retire should be able to do so;
            (5) plans for Social Security reform should not include 
        using a Chained Consumer Price Index, which would reduce 
        Federal annuities;
            (6) the number of Federal employees hired should not be 
        arbitrarily limited;
            (7) neither current nor future Federal employees should be 
        subject to automatic termination as a result of delinquent 
        taxes;
            (8) Federal agencies should be allowed to determine the 
        hiring strategies that best meet their needs, rather than 
        operating under an arbitrary, across-the-board hiring policy;
            (9) the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program should 
        not be turned into a voucher program that shifts the costs of 
        health insurance to employees and retirees;
            (10) the tax increase on new Federal employees that funds 
        part of the extension of the unemployment insurance program 
        administered by the Department of Labor should be repealed;
            (11) the work that Federal employees perform on behalf of 
        the American people should be honored and respected; and
            (12) Congress should recognize that efforts to reduce the 
        compensation and support provided to Federal employees 
        undermine our Government's ability to meet its obligations to 
        its citizens and hurt Federal agencies' ability to recruit and 
        retain a high-quality workforce.
                                 <all>