[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 86 (Monday, June 17, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E884-E885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CANCEL THE SEQUESTER: LET HERIBERTO LEON DO HIS JOB

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 14, 2013

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to tell my colleagues about one 
of my constituents, Heriberto Leon, who wrote recently to explain the 
real-life consequences of the sequester, for him and for our country.
  Mr. Leon is not asking Congress for much--he simply wants to be able 
to do his job as an EPA community involvement coordinator, helping to 
improve access to clean air and clean water for communities in the 
Chicagoland area.
  My constituent spends his day providing information to communities 
that are dealing with well water contamination from benzene. He is 
working to address the environmental and health consequences of 
pollution, effects that are particularly harmful to children and older 
Americans. He obviously enjoys his work and he is making a real 
contribution.
  Mr. Leon is not trying to enrich himself--in fact, he took a $20,000 
pay cut when he took his EPA job in 2010 and has been living with a 
three-year pay freeze. It is clear to me that, like so many Federal 
workers, he is committed to serving the public. And, like so many 
Federal workers, he cannot understand why he is unable to do his job 
and is being asked to take an additional personal, financial hit 
because of the sequester.
  Mr. Leon is being asked to take 13 furlough days, because of the 
arbitrary and harsh impacts of the across-the-board sequester cuts. 
That's about a $4,000--11% pay cut. We need people like Heriberto Leon 
at EPA, and I worry how we will be able to attract and retain dedicated 
Federal workers when they are faced with furloughs and budget cuts that 
prevent them from fulfilling their mission and impose serious financial 
hardships on them.
  I hope that my colleagues will take the time to read Mr. Leon's full 
letter and that, after doing so, you will join me in supporting H.R. 
900, the Cancel the Sequester Act. Our constituents are counting on us 
to act now.

                       Letter From Heriberto Leon

     Re Furlough Imposed on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
         Employees.

       Dear Representative Schakowsky: It is with much frustration 
     and heartbreak that I write to you this letter to urge you to 
     continue efforts to end the sequester and its impact on 
     working class public employees such as myself.
       Today is my second furlough day since the sequester began 
     earlier this year. Because I'm not at work today, I am unable 
     to attend to Americans struggling with the impact of soil, 
     water and air pollution in their communities. As a community 
     involvement coordinator in EPA's Region 5 office, I translate 
     to Spanish EPA information for Chicago neighborhoods like 
     Pilsen and Little Village and help explain to residents in 
     Wedron, IL how the Superfund Law and the Clean Drinking Water 
     Act each will help the EPA address the benzene contamination 
     in their well water. I have similar assignments with 
     communities facing contaminated sites throughout the Great 
     Lakes states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, 
     and Minnesota. My workload is sufficient to keep me busy many 
     hours beyond my regular work hours, which many times I am 
     happy to offer because I love to contribute to citizens who 
     are victims of industrial pollution. Instead I'm asked to not 
     show up to work so that my salary can be used to save money 
     for a made-up fiscal crisis.
       According to EPA's announcement earlier this year I have a 
     total of 13 furlough days between April and September, the 
     end of the fiscal year. That means a pay-cut of nearly $4000, 
     or 11% of my salary between now and September. That amount is 
     almost what I will need in August to pay the second 
     installment of my Cook County real estate tax bill! Shall I 
     sell my house and move out of Cook County or Illinois 
     altogether?
       Congresswoman Schakowsky, I gladly took a pay cut of 20K to 
     come to work for the federal government in 2010 as I 
     understood that I would be able to progress through the 
     federal employment step and grade system. However, that same 
     year a now three-year-old pay freeze was imposed on 
     government workers.
       I have had many employers in my work-life from institutions 
     of higher learning such as Loyola University Chicago to 
     private contractors for the Chicago Housing Authority. Never 
     have I experienced the utter disregard and insulting 
     treatment I feel from my employer, the Government of the 
     United States

[[Page E885]]

     of America, and the politicians responsible for its policies. 
     The most demeaning day for me was just a few days ago when my 
     supervisor ordered me to fill out EPA's ``Request for Leave'' 
     form to ``request'' my own furlough days. This sequestration 
     was never supposed to happen. It is unfair and unreasonable. 
     But it has happened anyway.
       I am happy that Air Traffic workers and other co-workers 
     throughout the federal government have by now been exempted 
     from furloughs. It pains me terribly that no similar 
     consideration is expressed for those of us who are charged 
     with caring for the environmental, economic, health, housing 
     and other equally important concerns of the American people.
       Finally, I would like to thank your staff for listening to 
     me and submit this letter for your consideration.
           Sincerely,
     Heriberto Leon.

                          ____________________