The 112th Congress began work last week, and already one lawmaker is pushing to enact some of the bipartisan deficit commission's proposals, including reducing the size of the federal workforce and freezing federal employee pay.
Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, late last week introduced legislation (H.R. 235) that would implement several of the recommendations from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The bill, which Brady estimates would save $153 billion, would place a three-year freeze on federal pay at every government agency, including the Defense Department.
"Both Republicans and Democrats on the deficit commission agreed these cuts need to be made, so let's make a down payment on restoring our nation to a balanced budget and leaner government," Brady said.
Brady's proposal comes after President Obama signed into law a two-year pay freeze for federal workers last month. It's important to note the current two-year pay freeze will not apply to performance awards and bonuses; recruitment, relocation and retention incentives; premium payments, such as overtime pay, promotions, within-grade increases; and quality step increases for outstanding performance.
Brady's legislation also would codify the deficit commission's proposal to reduce the federal workforce over the next decade by 10 percent, or by 200,000. This would mean hiring only two new workers for every three who leave service, according to the commission.
As the government looks to cut costs and become more efficient, however, there is little doubt that an increased focus on information technology will play a part. So what impact could such proposals have on recruitment and retention of the federal IT workforce?
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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