House Advances Bill to Save $11 Billion By Overturning Obama Federal Pay Hike

WASHINGTON- House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) issued the following statement on the bipartisan House adoption of H.R. 273, a bill introduced by Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), overturning the President’s December 27, 2012 executive order giving federal employees an across-the-board raise which would cost taxpayers $11 billion over ten years:
 
“Federal employees are on average compensated 16% more than their private sector counterparts. In fact, during the so-called ‘pay freeze’ federal employee pay has gone up by $3,328 while private sector pay has gone up only $1,404. The federal employee attrition rate is the same now as it was before the so-called ‘pay freeze.’ Nearly half-a-million federal employees make more than 100,000 per year.
 
“If President Obama does not get serious about finding spending cuts to avoid his sequestration, many federal employees will be furloughed, resulting in an actual reduction in compensation and harm to productivity.”

The legislation was adopted by a bipartisan vote of 261-154. For more information on H.R. 273 and federal employee pay click here.