[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 23, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SEVERANCE PAYMENTS TO AID PERSONNEL WHO VOLUNTARILY RESIGN

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                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 23, 1996

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce H.R. 3870, 
to authorize severance payments to AID personnel who voluntarily 
resign.
  I am introducing this bill at the request of the administration to 
allow AID to offer up to 100 employees, who voluntarily resign, 
severance payments up to a cap of $25,000. In the Foreign Service 
employees are entitled 1 month severance per year of service. Civil 
Service employees are entitled to 1 week severance per year of service.
  Over the past few years, AID personnel reduced in size from 
approximately 11,000 to 8,000 employees mainly using hiring freezes 
that cause AID to lose at least 120 employees per year. Due to further 
cuts in the President's fiscal year budget request, AID had to 
accelerate the reductions and is currently in the process of laying off 
200 employees by conducting a formal reduction in force [RIF] of 97 
Foreign Service and 103 Civil Service employees.
  Rather than layoff all 200 employees, AID would like to offer up to 
100 employees who voluntarily resign--and are not already eligible to 
retire--the opportunity to receive the severance payment they would 
have received if they had been laid off, up to a cap of $25,000. In 
this way, AID hopes to have 100 volunteers take the place of at least 
half of those people scheduled to be laid off.
  This bill is supported by the administration, the American Foreign 
Service Association, the chairman of the House Government Reform 
Subcommittee on Civil Service, John L. Mica, and the Senate chairman of 
the Government Affairs Committee, Ted Stevens. I urge Members to 
support this measure.

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