[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 19, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  NEW LEGISLATION FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES WOULD BENEFIT SURVIVORS OF 
                         COLORADO FIREFIGHTERS

  (Mr. McCLOSKEY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McCLOSKEY. Mr. Speaker, of the 14 brave firefighters who died in 
the Colorado inferno, only 2 were permanent employees. The other 12 
were temporary employees who were ineligible for many benefits, 
including health care and retirement programs.
  It is truly cold comfort that their families may be eligible for some 
benefits, as a result of this tragedy. We must reform the Federal 
Personnel System to provide fair benefits to the 10,000 seasonal 
firefighters and law enforcement rangers and tens of thousands of other 
temporary employees nationwide.
  For years, I have been trying to resolve this problem. Last year, 
after another temporary employee, James Hudson, died after working two 
shifts in sweltering heat at the Lincoln Memorial, I reintroduced 
legislation to provide basic benefits to temporary employees.
  In response to congressional pressure on this vital matter, the 
Office of Personnel Management issued proposed regulations providing 
some assistance to Federal temporary employees.
  Today I am circulating a dear colleague and I ask every Member to 
sign on to my letter to OPM Director Jim King urging OPM to expedite 
the final regulations. The letter also seeks to have OPM develop a 
fiscal strategy to provide health and retirement benefits to temporary 
employees.
  We need to fix this issue. It is simply wrong that this issue seems 
to surface only after great tragedy.

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