Bill Clinton: “Absolutely. First of all, let me repeat again, I recommended, number one, that we reduce the Federal work force by now a…”

“Absolutely. First of all, let me repeat again, I recommended, number one, that we reduce the Federal work force by now a figure that is now 150,000, and I think it will be bigger before we finish, that is, I have another report coming out on this next month; number two, that we freeze the pay of Federal employees of next year, and for the next 5 years we not give them the cost-of-living increases that they got all during the eighties, that we give them less than the total cost-of-living increase. I think you can make a compelling argument that Federal employees are making from a percentage point of view, the biggest contribution to deficit reduction of any single group in America. And by and large, interestingly enough, they've been pretty supportive of this. They've recognized it that they have jobs with the Federal Government, that we've got to downsize the Government, and that they need to show some restraint, if other Americans are going to be asked to pay $50 a year in a fuel tax, that they need to show some restraint on their pay. But if you look at the automatic cost-of-living increases they've been getting for the last 12 years, it will cost them a lot more than $50 a year, this program will, before we're done, and they'll pay a much bigger share. But I think that's right; the Government should make a bigger sacrifice than the taxpayers. I believe that they should, and I believe they are. Line-Item Veto”