Chris Van Hollen: “As we have heard, tucked into this bill, Mr. Chairman, which is so important to our national defense, is a provision…”

“As we have heard, tucked into this bill, Mr. Chairman, which is so important to our national defense, is a provision that I believe could have long-term negative consequences for our military readiness and effectiveness. It is a provision that will rewrite the rules for 700,000 civil service employees in the Department of Defense. Mr. Chairman, in our committee, the Committee on Government Reform, when the representatives from the Department of Defense came to testify, they made it clear that our military success in Iraq was the result of a team effort, a team effort between the military and between the civil servants within the Department of Defense that provided them the support. It was a true partnership. Yet, just a few weeks after our military success in Iraq, the Pentagon launched what can only be described as a sneak, surprise attack on the rights of those civil servants within the Department of Defense. It is very ironic that just a few weeks after this body passed legislation endorsing the good work of public employees, that we would take this action that treats them so unfairly.”