[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 13 (Monday, April 4, 1994)]
[Pages 651-652]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994

March 30, 1994

    I am pleased to sign into law H.R. 3345, the ``Federal Workforce 
Restructuring Act of 1994.'' This Act's incentives will help to 
accomplish the reduction of Federal employment by about 273,000 by the 
close of fiscal year 1999.
    When the Administration released the report of the National 
Performance Review last September, we promised the American people that 
we would create a Government that works better and costs less. We are 
committed to bringing meaningful change in the way this Government does 
business and to renewing the faith of citizens around this country in 
their Government. Enactment of this legislation is an important 
milestone toward achieving these goals.
    This Administration is committed to streamlining Government with as 
few vol- 

[[Page 652]]

untary incentives as possible. New caps on agency budgets will force 
agencies to cut employment. Agencies need the cost-effective incentives 
provided in this bill in order to avoid excessive reductions-in-force 
that are costly, disruptive, and disproportionately strike younger 
workers, many of whom are recently hired women and minorities. With the 
``buyout'' authority granted by this legislation, agencies can target 
employees in unnecessary high level jobs and maximize savings.
    Consistent with the clear intent of the Act, I will interpret the 
term ``full-time equivalent positions,'' used in the legislation to 
define annual employment ceilings, to mean ``full-time equivalent 
employment.''
    This Act also will modernize the law governing Federal employee 
training. It will permit new flexibility in choosing the best and most 
cost-effective training and place new emphasis on retraining our 
employees to move into new career fields where their talents are most 
needed.
    After all the rhetoric about cutting the size and cost of 
Government, our Administration has done the hard work and made the tough 
choices. I believe the economy will be stronger, and the lives of middle 
class people will be better, as we drive down the deficit with 
legislation like this. We can maintain and expand our recovery so long 
as we keep faith with deficit reduction and sensible, fair policies like 
this.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
March 30, 1994.

Note: H.R. 3345, approved March 30, was assigned Public Law No. 103-226. 
An original was not available for verification of the content of this 
statement.