Lori Trahan: “I want to commend the sponsors of this important bill that rewards the talent and commitment of our civilian workforce…”

“I want to commend the sponsors of this important bill that rewards the talent and commitment of our civilian workforce by granting them a 2.6 percent pay adjustment for 2019. Mr. Chairman, the shutdown was a stark reminder of how crucial these workers are to protect our air and water, secure our shores, guide air traffic, and ensure that our tax returns are processed on time. I heard desperate stories from many of these public servants, including workers at the IRS processing center in Andover. One of my constituents who works there wrote the following to me during the shutdown: ``Apart from selling everything I own to pay for food, bills, and the mortgage, I honestly don't know what to do and am truly scared that this may do me in.'' Mr. Chairman, this was an entirely avoidable tragedy that wreaked havoc on thousands of lives; yet he and thousands of others like him dutifully reported to work without any certainty of when or whether they would be paid next. The underlying bill is the least we can do for them and the dedicated public servants like them. My amendment is a simple clarification that all IRS employees would be eligible for this pay adjustment. We learned yesterday from legislative counsel that the bill could inadvertently exclude some of these employees hired under special provisions of chapter 95, title 5.…”