[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 64 (Thursday, April 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                            FEDERAL WORKERS

                                 ______


                               speech of

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 5, 1995
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, do you have to represent Federal workers in 
order to believe they ought to be treated just like other Americans?
  Federal workers have lost $9.6 billion in pay and benefits over the 
last 5 years. Find me any other workers who have lost in that way. That 
was real money, cutting corners, often through stealth paybacks. Every 
year these people get a statutory pay cut. I cannot remember the last 
time that we gave Federal workers the statutory pay raise to which they 
are entitled. Now we want to steal from their retirement.
  It is a brazen pay cut, because the contract they have is that they 
earn less in compensation in order to get more in retirement. It is a 
zero-sum gain and they are coming out more and more like zero.
  What in the world is this doing in a tax cut bill? Because there is 
insult and injury here, to cut retirements for some in order to cut 
taxes for others. My dear colleagues, fairness should begin at home 
with the people who serve you as Federal workers.
Vol. 141


WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 1995

No. 64


House of Representatives