Steny Hoyer actually said...

"If we wish to recruit and retain the best and brightest to serve in the Federal workforce, we must ensure that pay and benefits are competitive with the private sector."

"Federal employees have been treated as though they're expendable, even though they are indispensable to the operations of our Federal service."

"The Federal employees were largely overpaid. That is simply not a fact."

"If you have a system that allows the President unilaterally to change it and turn civil servants into political appointees... then you have undermined the whole point of having a merit system civil se..."