WASHINGTON – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., issued the following statement Monday in reaction to the President’s announcement that he would freeze the pay of most federal civilian employees. HSGAC has jurisdictional responsibility for the federal civilian workforce:
“Federal employees, including members of Congress and our staffs, have to sacrifice as part of an urgent need to curtail the cost of the federal government and reduce the national debt to help get us out of these tough economic times.
“I say this with regret, because we are asking many dedicated, hard-working, and patriotic public servants to pay a price for fiscal and economic conditions for which they are not responsible. But private sector employees across the country are struggling, and all sectors, including the public sector, must tighten their belts.
“I hope that this sacrifice by federal employees will be part of a comprehensive and successful national effort to get our fiscal house in order and that an improved economy will yield a brighter national jobs picture in which all workers, including federal employees, can benefit.”
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