Eleanor Holmes Norton: “I want to thank the bipartisan leadership that has worked this difficult problem out for the benefit not only of the…”

“I want to thank the bipartisan leadership that has worked this difficult problem out for the benefit not only of the employees involved but of the efficiency of the Government and of the expectations of our country. Last October my Subcommittee on Compensation and Employee Benefits moved expeditiously to mark up H.R. 3345, and the chairman, the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Clay], moved it immediately to the floor for fast action to reduce agency personnel. We acted quickly because we ourselves had approved a budget that assumed huge reductions in the Federal service that were even then not on schedule. Only 20,000 employees left voluntarily in fiscal year 1993, while we assumed 25,000 would leave the Federal service. It was clear that attrition was not working. The reason was also clear. Buyouts had been offered in some agencies and not others. Obviously, Federal employees assumed that, out of logic and surely out of fairness, Congress would not favor some agencies and some employees over others.”