“This bill provides immediate, common-sense, and non-controversial fixes to the Hatch Act.  Specifically, it implements recommendations for immediate reform proposed by Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner.  

“First, the bill eliminates the restriction that prevents state and local government employees from running for political office.  Currently, if a state or local government employee works on a program that receives any amount of federal funding, the Hatch Act prohibits that employee from running for office.

“This restriction has led to a number of unjust results for public servants.  For example, today we will hear from Jon Greiner, the former police chief for the City of Ogden, Utah, who was removed from his position because he ran for state senate.  In another example, a Philadelphia transit cop was barred from running for his local school board because he works with an explosives detection dog paid for by a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

“These results make no sense.  Even worse, the Office of Special Counsel reports that 45% of its caseload now involves enforcing this restriction, diverting resources from more critical issues.

“The Hatch Act Modernization Act also implements a second recommendation made by the Special Counsel.  It expands the range of penalties for Hatch Act violations.  Right now, an employee who commits a Hatch Act violation—no matter how minor—must be fired unless the Merit Systems Protection Board unanimously votes to impose a lesser penalty.  This bill makes it easier for the punishment to more appropriately fit the violation.

“Finally, the bill includes a third provision to treat employees working for the District of Columbia as state and local government employees rather than as federal employees.  This provision is based on legislation championed by Congresswoman Norton that passed the House by voice vote in the 111th Congress.  We will hear today from the Attorney General of the District of Columbia that without this change, he will not be able to run for another term in 2014.  That just does not make sense.
 “Mr. Chairman, this bill is simple, straightforward, and noncontroversial.  Last June, at our first hearing on the Hatch Act, Chairman Issa said the Committee would consider Hatch Act legislation before the election.  He said this:
 

The Oversight Committee is intending to author such legislation as may be necessary and will affect the next President.  Necessarily, we will, in fact, work on a bipartisan basis to find any and all changes necessary to take effect upon the inauguration of the next President.  Although this is 18 months and it seems like a long time, in political time it is very short.

“The Chairman was right.  That was nearly a year ago, and time is running out.  Although I support additional efforts to improve the Hatch Act, H.R. 4152 includes common-sense fixes that the Special Counsel needs now, before the election.  These provisions have widespread support, and we can pass them immediately.

“Mr. Chairman, I hope we can work together to schedule a markup for May 31 when we return from the Memorial Day recess.

“There are many public servants—police officers, social workers, and paramedics—who want to serve their country by holding public office. We should not make them wait any longer.”
 

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Washington, DC  - Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 25, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will receive the  "Champion of Healthcare Innovation" award from the Healthcare Leadership Council.  Cummings will receive the honor for his efforts to make medical innovation more accessible to patients and consumers. 

The Healthcare Leadership Council is a coalition of chief executives of national leading healthcare companies working to develop policies, plans, and programs to ensure that affordable, high-quality care is accessible to all Americans.

What:           Congressman Cummings Receives “Champion of Healthcare Innovation” Award

When:          Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Where:         345 Cannon Caucus Room, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC

# # # #

 Cummings Opening Statement

Hearing on

“GSA’s Squandering of Taxpayer Dollars:

A Pattern of Mismanagement, Excess and Waste”

Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, a senior Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, made the following statement during a hearing in the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management regarding the extravagant spending at a 2010 GSA conference:

            “Thank you Mr. Chairman.  At today’s hearing, we have an opportunity to continue to review the actions of GSA employees who organized and participated in the 2010 conference in Las Vegas.

            Yesterday, at a hearing before the Oversight Committee, we heard testimony from Inspector General Brian Miller, who is here again today.  Mr. Miller, I want to thank you again for bringing to light this gross abuse of taxpayer funds and for your office’s year-long investigation of this issue.

            Mr. Miller’s report yesterday was very troubling.  For example, he described the actions of Jeff Neely, a career GSA employee for many years and a senior-level executive in the Pacific Rim region based in San Francisco.  Although Mr. Neely is not the only official implicated in this investigation, his role as the host of the 2010 conference has raised significant questions.

According to the Inspector General’s investigation, Mr. Neely engaged in a pattern of misconduct that included violating federal travel and procurement rules, holding lavish parties in luxury suites, and allowing his wife and other non-government officials to participate in some of these events at taxpayer expense.

As I said at yesterday’s hearing, Mr. Neely disregarded one of the most basic tenets of government service—he treated taxpayer funds as if they were his own.

We also heard troubling new accounts from the Inspector General that Mr. Neely may have retaliated against other GSA employees who tried to object to his actions and rein in this lavish spending.  According to one witness who spoke with the Inspector General, one GSA employee was “squashed like a bug” when she tried to object to Mr. Neely’s actions.

As the Inspector General also told us, one witness was so scared of potential reprisal from Mr. Neely that she asked to be treated as a confidential informant.

These reports, although they certainly do not justify Mr. Neely’s actions, may help explain why these improper activities apparently went on for so long.  Witnesses reported to the Inspector General that the conference in Las Vegas in 2010 was just the latest in a series of conferences over many years where lavish and extravagant spending had become the norm.

As we heard yesterday, this issue was not brought to light until it was reported to the Inspector General by the Deputy Administrator of GSA, Susan Brita, who is here today.  Ms. Brita, who is a top-level Democratic political appointee, should be commended for her actions, not only in reporting these abuses, but also for insisting that action be taken to address them.

At yesterday’s hearing, Mr. Neely invoked his right under the Fifth Amendment to remain silent, and the Committee excused him from testifying.  The Inspector General also confirmed for the Oversight Committee that has referred this case to the Department of Justice.

Today, we will have the opportunity to continue examining this issue in detail, including hearing from other GSA officials who were involved, including Bob Peck, the former Commissioner of GSA’s Public Building Service, who apparently condoned and sanctioned the actions of Mr. Neely.

Finally, let me close by noting that there are millions of government workers across the country who dedicate their entire lives to public service.  They are scrupulous, honest, and hardworking, and we should not use today’s hearing to tarnish their reputations.  We should thank them for their hard work and honor their service.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

# # # #

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 2 – 3 PM
 (Symposium is 8 AM – 5PM)
 OPEN PRESS

WHERE:  Armour J. Blackburn Center Ballroom
Howard University
2397 6th St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

*The symposium is free and open to the public. 

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(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Senior Member of the Joint Economic Committee, today released a statement, following the report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicating a gain in February of 227,000 new American jobs.

“For two straight years now, President Obama has helped our nation create job growth in the private sector,” said Cummings. “Now, that growth is becoming more and more robust. This is a wonderful indicator for our nation’s economic recovery. However, we can do better. Until every American can put in hard work for a fair paycheck, we will have more work to do. Congress must continue to work with small businesses, corporations and the people of our nation to rebuild our middle class and educate the next generation of Americans to prepare for the jobs of the future. This report shows that we are on our way back, and I hope that we will only continue to improve.”

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Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland) introduced legislation today to modernize the Hatch Act. They were joined in the Senate by cosponsors Senators Joseph Lieberman (ID-Connecticut), Carl Levin (D-Michigan), and Mike Lee (R-Utah).

Senator Akaka said: “The Hatch Act has worked for nearly 75 years to shield employees from pressure to use federal time and resources for partisan gain, while also protecting employees’ personal freedoms of choice and expression.  It is time for Congress to update the Hatch Act to provide greater flexibility for state and local government employees, and additional options for disciplining federal employees charged with minor violations of the Hatch Act.”

Congressman Cummings said: “These are common-sense changes that will clarify the law and make it easier to enforce.  State and local employees, such as police officers, should not be banned from running for public office, and there should be punishments less severe than firing for minor violations.  I hope this reform will be passed swiftly by the House and Senate so the President can sign it this year.” 

Senator Levin said: “This legislation will allow hard-working employees of state and local government who are covered by the Hatch Act to run and serve as elected officials in their communities.  It is past time that we clarified the Hatch Act so that these highly qualified individuals can have an opportunity to run for public office.”

Senator Lieberman said: “This is a common sense bill that would help expand the pool of dedicated and talented public servants running for state and local office and focus scarce resources on more serious investigations.  The bill would handle DC government employees more fairly by treating them like state and local employees.”

Senator Lee said: "While federal employees must ensure that their first priority is serving the people, they are also citizens and deserve to have their freedoms protected.  If we can update the Hatch Act to provide for greater flexibility for public workers while still ensuring the legitimacy of our politics, there should be no reason for anyone to oppose such a change."

The Hatch Act Modernization Act of 2012 would:

•    Allow state and local government employees covered by the Hatch Act to run for partisan elective office;
•    Provide the Merit Systems Protection Board – the independent federal agency that adjudicates Hatch Act complaints – with flexibility to issue a range of penalties for Hatch Act violations.  Currently, employees who violate the Act must be terminated unless the Board unanimously agrees to reduce the penalty; and
•    Ensure that employees of the District of Columbia are subject to the same restrictions on political activity that currently apply to employees of all other state and local government agencies.   

The Hatch Act, enacted in 1939 and last amended in 1993, is a federal law that restricts political activity of federal employees, as well as state, local, and District of Columbia government employees whose positions are federally funded.  It was created to ensure that federal resources are not directed for partisan political objectives and to protect civil servants from being coerced to participate in political activities.
 
–END–

 

(Washington, DC) - Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, today released a statement following the death of Patty Rouse, widow of Jim Rouse, the legendary creator of Columbia and other planned developments.

“Patty Rouse was a visionary who, along with her husband, saw a time when all Americans would have a home they could call their own,” said Cummings. “The goal she and Jim sought in creating Columbia, and in all their housing work, was not just achieving their dream, but of allowing others to live the American Dream. Though Jim, and now Patty, have passed, Columbia will remain as a lasting testament to their vision of creating affordable, livable homes. Meanwhile, Enterprise Community Partners, the organization they co-founded, will continue to find ways to improve and increase affordable housing availability, bringing Patty’s vision to the entire nation. We will miss Patty, her incredible work ethic and her spirit of giving. I join residents of Columbia and our entire District in mourning for her loss and prayer for her friends and family.”

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Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, today released a statement following the death of Congressman Donald Payne, who served New Jersey in the House of Representatives for 23 years. Rep. Payne was 77.

“Today serves as a reminder to all of us who are blessed to serve the people of our communities, that the time we have on this Earth can end much too fast, and that we must constantly be working to improve the lives of those around us, “said Cummings. “My good friend Donald Payne made that his goal each and every day of his life. Being the first African American Congressman from New Jersey did not put a period on his life, but merely a comma. His tireless work for his own constituents was matched only by his desire to encourage better understanding of the cradle of civilization, Africa.

“I will pray for Donald’s family and friends, and for those who served on his staff who were so proud to call him a mentor. I will miss his voice, I will miss seeing him striding through the halls of Congress and all of us in Washington will miss his passion. New Jersey has lost a wonderful public servant today and our nation has lost a treasure.”

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(Washington, DC) – Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, released a statement today following his reappointment as one of 15 members of the Board of Regents of Morgan State University:

“Morgan State University is a proud jewel in the crown of Maryland’s education system,” said Cummings. “I am proud to watch students at Morgan State matriculate in my own Congressional District and I believe those students deserve the finest possible education so that they will be able to succeed in the global economy. Competing as a nation will take nothing less than outstanding education for our best and the brightest. My job as a member of the Board of Regents will be to ensure that Morgan State continues producing those men and women that will lead our nation into a bright future. I thank the University and look forward to continuing to serve.”

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Washington, DC (Feb. 23, 2012)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement in response to the Postal Service’s announcement that 223 postal process facilities had been selected for full or partial consolidation:

“Although I understand that the Postal Service needs to downsize its infrastructure, I am deeply concerned with plans to consolidate more than 200 processing facilities and eliminate up to 30,000 jobs before Congress has considered comprehensive legislation to reform this essential institution.

“I have introduced legislation, the Innovate to Deliver Act, H.R. 2967, that would return to the Postal Service funds it has overpaid into the federal retirement system, enabling the Postal Service to compassionately right-size its workforce and pay down its debts.  My bill would also allow the Postal Service to develop new products to meet the demands of a changing marketplace.

“Given the urgent financial challenges confronting the Postal Service, Congress should immediately consider and pass bipartisan legislation that will position the Postal Service to meet these challenges and continue to deliver for our nation in the years to come.”

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(Washington, DC) -  Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Oversight Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings, and Congresswomen Eleanor Holmes Norton and Carolyn Maloney held a Democratic Steering and Policy Committee event today to hear testimony from Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University law student who was denied the opportunity to appear at a Committee hearing  last week to discuss the critical importance of contraceptives to millions of women across the country.

During her testimony today, Fluke responded to questions from Ranking Member Cummings about the nationwide campaign being conducted at both the state and federal levels to roll back women’s access to contraceptives.  “Contraception when it first became available was a revolution in this country,” said Fluke. “It allowed women to enter employment and educational opportunities that had previously not been accessible because they were unable to control their reproduction in the same way. I just cannot imagine rolling back the clock on that progress.” 

Cummings praised Fluke for giving voice to millions of women across the country.  “Now you have not only the Congress listening to you, but you have the country listening to you, and that is a powerful, powerful thing,” said Cummings. 

BACKGROUND ON NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN TO ROLL BACK WOMEN’S ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTIVES

    During a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 16, 2012, Chairman Darrell Issa refused to allow third-year Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke to testify about the critical importance of contraceptives to millions of women across the country.  Claiming that the hearing would address only issues relating to religious freedom, Chairman Issa stated that Ms. Fluke is “a college student who appears to have become energized over this issue,” that she is not “appropriate or qualified” to testify, and that she does “not have the appropriate credentials” to appear before the Committee.

    Recent efforts to use religious and moral grounds to deny women coverage of birth control are not isolated incidents, but rather part of a nationwide campaign being conducted at both the state and federal levels to outlaw many forms of commonly used contraceptives.  These efforts include legislation and ballot initiatives in various states, as well as legislation proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate that are intended to outlaw the pill, emergency contraceptives, and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

State Proposals to Outlaw Contraceptives
 
•    Legislation has been introduced in at least 11 states to make many forms of commonly used birth control illegal.  These legislative efforts broadly define “personhood” as beginning at the moment of conception or fertilization.  There are also ongoing efforts in eight states to define personhood via ballot initiatives.  These vaguely worded, sweeping bills and initiatives would extend the protections of state law to a fertilized egg even before implantation.

•    These initiatives are intended to outlaw commonly used forms of contraception that interfere with implantation and certain in-vitro fertilization techniques.  Proponents of such initiatives have stated that they would outlaw commonly used forms of contraceptives that affect implantation of the egg, emergency contraceptives, IUDs, and certain in-vitro fertilization techniques.

•    A state judge in Nevada required proponents of a ballot initiative to provide this explicit description of exactly what the initiative would outlaw:

The initiative would protect a prenatal person regardless of whether or not the prenatal person would live, grow, or develop in the womb or survive birth; prevent all abortions even in the case of rape, incest, or serious threats to the women’s health or life, or when a woman is suffering from a miscarriage, or as an emergency treatment for an ectopic pregnancy.  The initiative will impact some rights Nevada women currently have to utilize some forms of birth control, including the “pill;” and to access certain fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization.  The initiative will affect embryonic stem cell research, which offers potential for treating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and others.

•    Medical and legal experts have raised concerns that these initiatives could have far-reaching implications for women’s health.  For example, these initiatives could make it illegal for doctors to treat pregnant women for cancer if the treatments could endanger the fetus.
   
•    State legislators across the country have introduced bills to deny contraception coverage to more women in several states.  Bills to create exemptions to existing state contraception mandates or to broaden existing exemptions have been introduced in states including Arizona, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Federal Proposals to Outlaw or Deny Coverage of Contraceptives

•    Federal “Morality” Legislation: 

•    On March 17, 2011, Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) introduced H.R. 1179, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011.  This legislation, which now has 209 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, would allow any employer, including for-profit private sector companies, to deny insurance coverage for contraceptives if doing so is contrary to their religious beliefs or “moral convictions.”  This would include the pill, condoms, IUDs, and any other contraceptives viewed as morally objectionable by the company.

•    On August 2, 2011, Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced the Senate version of this legislation, S. 1467, which now has 37 co-sponsors.  He also filed it as an amendment to the federal highway reauthorization bill.

•    In addition to allowing companies to deny insurance coverage for contraceptives, this “morality” legislation would allow companies to deny coverage for a host of other essential healthcare services.  Based on undefined “moral convictions,” a company could refuse to cover:

•    prenatal testing and care, such as routine sonograms or amniocentesis;
•    HIV/AIDS screenings;
•    Type-2 Diabetes screenings;
•    mental health treatment for depression; or
•    screenings for infections that cause cervical cancer.

Federal “Personhood” Legislation:

•    The Life at Conception Act:  In 2011, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) introduced H.R. 374 to extend the rights in the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to “the moment of fertilization ... or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.” This legislation, which now has 111 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, is similar to the language of state ballot initiatives to outlaw many forms of commonly used contraceptives.  On January 25, 2011, Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the Senate companion, S. 91.

•    The Sanctity of Human Life Act:  In addition, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) introduced H.R. 212, which provides that “the life of each human being begins with fertilization, cloning, or its functional equivalent.”  This legislation now has 63 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives.


 

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-7), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, welcomed the groundbreaking of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“This is a wonderful moment in the history of our nation,” said Cummings. “For years, the Smithsonian Institution has stood in our nation’s capital, occupying more than a dozen buildings, displaying the most important parts of the history of our world and our nation. With the groundbreaking of the new Museum of African American History and Culture, our national museum recognizes the tremendous role in our history played by the story, tradition and culture of the African American experience.

“Our contributions are an indispensable part of our whole as a country; equally responsible, with every other culture and race, for the growth of this nation since its birth. I welcome this Museum, not because it will highlight the contributions of African Americans, but because it will continue to tell the complete and beautiful story of the United States of America.”

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Forum Recognizes National Children’s Dental Health Month and Commemorates the Fifth Anniversary of the Death of Deamonte Driver

 
(Washington, DC) - Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-7), Senator Barbara Mikulski and Senator Ben Cardin hosted a forum Wednesday, to study the expansion of access to children’s dental health care in the past five years. This forum was held as part of National Children’s Dental Health Month, and honored the memory of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Prince George’s County child who died in 2007 when his mother was unable to find a dentist willing to remove his infected tooth.

The three lawmakers discussed the state of pediatric dentistry with two panels of experts, learning about both areas of improvements and of need, from government officials, non-profit stakeholders and the mother of twins who was unable to find adequate dental care.

“Opportunities to have a real discussion about this issue are critical because the investments we make now in our children’s dental health will last a lifetime,” said Congressman Cummings. “It starts with a simple message to families about the importance of oral health, the power of prevention, and the importance of regular screenings. We must protect the progress we’ve made if we want to prevent another tragedy, while we commit ourselves to closing the gaps that still exist.”

Rep. Cummings fought to ensure a guaranteed dental benefit for children enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program as well as the requirement in the Affordable Care Act, which guarantees a pediatric dentistry benefit for every insurance package offered through the Health Insurance Exchange. The ACA also includes investments in oral health infrastructure and the oral health workforce that will help to support a sustainable dental health system.

“Everyone, but especially our kids, should get to see a doctor and a dentist to get the health care they need to stay healthy,” Senator Mikulski said. “That’s why I was so proud to announce $40 million in new federal funds for the Children’s Health Insurance Program to pay for health care coverage – including dental coverage – for 137,000 more kids in Maryland. CHIP is so important to families who work every day but can’t afford coverage. That’s how we honor Deamonte Driver - by making sure that kids and adults get the dental care they need to stay healthy.”

Maryland has been nationally recognized for leadership in children’s oral health. Maryland increased its Medicaid dental reimbursement to 70% of median retail fees, one of the highest reimbursement rates in the country, creating an increase of nearly 85 percent over the past two years in the number of dentists who treat Medicaid patients.

“Dental decay is the most prevalent and treatable disease among children,” said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. “The tragic death of Deamonte Driver made us all very aware that there can be no health without oral health, and we must make sure that every child in America has access to dental care for preventive services and for the treatment of dental disease.”

Challenges still face the pediatric dentistry community however. Rep. Cummings and Sens. Cardin and Mikulski heard evidence that, while improvements are being made, emergency room visits for pediatric dental care are on the rise, indicating a lack of opportunity for traditional dental care on the part of the underprivileged. As well, only 20 states (including Maryland) are currently receiving grants from the Centers for Disease Control to strengthen oral health programs. These grants are badly needed in all 50 states.

Rear Admiral William Bailey, Chief Dental Officer of the United States Public Health Service began the discussion, followed by Jennifer Ryan, Deputy Director of the Children and Adults Health Programs Group at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Harry Goodman, Director of the Office of Oral Health at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Burton Edelstein, Founding Director of the Children’s Dental Health Project and Shelly Gehshan, Director of the Children’s Dental Program at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The first panel of experts was followed by Dr. Neuthan Rao, a dentist at Chase Brexton Health Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center, Dr. Leo E. Rouse, Dean of the Howard University College of Dentistry, Dr. Lawrence Caplin, CEO of the Oral Health Impact Project and Grace Williams, the mother of two autistic twins, who could not find a dentist to treat her children.
 
The Forum was held Wednesday at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, Moot Court Room.
 

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(Washington, DC) – Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today released a statement regarding potential legislation that would affect the Internet:

“There is no doubt in my mind that legislation is needed to halt the sale of pirated and counterfeit goods on the Internet. However, I cannot support any proposal that would allow censorship, stifle innovation or leave our nation open to breaches in cybersecurity.  I hope that Members of Congress will continue working together to develop a balanced and bi-partisan solution to this very real problem.”

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(Washington, DC) – Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today voted “no” on the conference report to accompany H.R. 3630, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011, because of the major negative impacts it will have on federal workers.

The bill will extend the payroll tax cut created by President Obama for the remainder of 2012, while also extending unemployment benefits and adjusting the Medicare “doc fix” to ensure doctors are fully compensated for serving Medicare patients.
 
However, under some circumstances, unemployment benefits may be cut by 30 weeks, and both unemployment and the “doc fix” will be paid for in part by requiring newly hired federal workers to pay a higher percentage of their salaries toward pension contributions.

“Our Federal employees are not a piggy bank. We should not reach into their pockets every time we need to pay for something,” said Cummings. “In return for their hard work and dedication, the majority has rewarded federal workers with an unprecedented assault on their compensation and benefits.

“Federal workers have already contributed $60 billion toward the reduction of our Federal deficit. They are now being asked to pay for even more, while we refuse to ask millionaires and billionaires to contribute one additional penny. It is time we stop the assault on our Federal workforce. Instead, let us implement policies that will ensure that our investments in our nation are a shared national priority.”

H.R. 3630 passed the House by a final vote of 293-132.

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