On the recordMarch 10, 2011
Well, I think that you raise such an amazing point for the American people on two points, one about Federal benefits. There is this wide assumption across the country that Federal workers don't contribute to their own health and life insurance and their dental insurance, and it's just not true. So I think it's really born for us to debunk that right now. As you say, the Federal Government is a decent employer, but it is by no means the best employer when it comes to providing benefits, as some of those Fortune 500, Fortune 1000 companies that you point to. Nonetheless, it's the Federal worker who contributes to her own benefit, contributes to her pension, contributes to her health insurance, contributes for her family members across the board. The gentlewoman also makes an important distinction for us to know that, in fact, the Federal workforce, because they sometimes work alongside contract employees who are paid different rates, who have different benefits, but are in some cases doing very, very similar kind of work. I applaud the Obama administration for trying to get a handle on what is uniquely government work and shouldn't be contracted out because we need much greater oversight.
