YouCut Targets Federal Pay

Cutting the Obama administration's proposed 1.4 percent pay increase for federal employees in 2011 is on the radar of Republican lawmakers yet again.

The Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe notes that House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., recently launched YouCut, an online contest designed to highlight government projects that Republican lawmakers think are wasteful. Participants can vote each week either online or via text message on five proposed cuts, and the most popular will be introduced by Republicans to the full House for an up or down vote. Participants also can submit their own ideas for spending cuts.

This week, eliminating the proposed federal employee pay raise is among the choices participants can vote to cut. The YouCut website says cutting the federal pay raise will save approximately $2 billion in the first year and approximately $30 billion over 10 years. The website also points to recent articles by USA Today that argue that federal workers make 20 percent more than their private sector counterparts. "This proposal would expand upon the just enacted legislation to prevent members of Congress from receiving a pay raise," the website states. "The proposal would not impact the scheduled 1.4 percent pay raise for those in the military."

But is eliminating the federal pay raise a useful and realistic way to cut government spending, particularly as the government will need to attract and retain top talent, including tech skills, to the workforce as more seasoned workers retire?