[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 26 (Monday, February 25, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E173-E174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ELIMINATION OF 2013 PAY ADJUSTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 15, 2013

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is nothing more than an 
attempt to penalize hardworking federal employees who are doing our 
nation's business. I support extending the freeze on Congressional pay, 
but there is no reason we should block federal civil servants from 
receiving a partial COLA of a \1/2\ of 1 percent.
  Federal workers have already contributed $103 billion toward lowering 
our deficit through pay freezes and increases in their retirement 
contributions. A full pay freeze for a third year in a row would take 
another $11 billion out of the pockets of these dedicated public 
servants.
  And let's be clear: this bill does not cut spending by one dime 
because it does not change the overall spending caps. As a result, 
these dollars will be spent elsewhere in the budget. So while this bill 
does nothing to reduce the deficit, it does punish people doing 
essential work for our country. It punishes: Nurses caring for our 
wounded warriors; the FBI agents who helped rescue the young boy in 
Alabama; air traffic controllers who keep our skies safe to fly; 
scientists doing lifesaving medical research; meat and food inspectors

[[Page E174]]

who keep our food safe; the individuals who helped get the intelligence 
to track down Osama bin Laden; and the individuals who keep our border 
safe, ensure Social Security payments arrive on time, and so many 
others who do the work of America.
  All that is bad enough. At the same time, this bill does nothing to 
avoid the hit to the economy and jobs that will begin on March 1, just 
over two weeks from today.
  I want everyone to remember two numbers. First, 750,000. That is the 
number of jobs that will be lost between March 1 and the end of the 
year if we don't stop the sequester. This number doesn't come from me; 
it comes from the nonpartisan, independent Congressional Budget Office, 
CBO.
  That job loss is equal to wiping out all the job gains from October 1 
of last year through last month--5 months--of job gains. Additionally, 
the sequester will cut economic growth this year one-third. So, we 
should prevent this needless action from taking place. And House 
Democrats have repeatedly offered a plan to do so.
  The second number to remember is 4. That is the number of times 
Democrats have tried to get a vote on our plan to replace the sequester 
with the same amount of long term deficit reduction without hurting 
jobs or the economy. Our Republicans colleagues have not lifted a 
finger in the 113th Congress to prevent these impending job losses.
  In fact, Tea Party Republicans like Senator Rand Paul are cheering 
for this job cleaver to come down.
  Our plan would replace the $120 billion sequester for the remainder 
of the year, with an equal amount of long-term deficit reduction 
without harming jobs and disrupting the economy.
  The key elements of our plan are as follows: cut direct payment 
subsidies to agribusiness by $29 billion; cut Big Oil tax subsidies by 
$38 billion; implement the Buffet Rule, which brings in $54 billion in 
revenue. That totals $121 billion of offsetting deficit reduction that 
won't hurt the economy or kill jobs.
  So instead of penalizing hard working federal employees, let's focus 
on preventing the loss of 750,000 American jobs and let's pass the Stop 
the Sequester Job Loss Act now.

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