Timothy Penny: “I rise in support of the conference report on H.R. 3345, the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994. I congratulate…”

“I rise in support of the conference report on H.R. 3345, the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994. I congratulate Chairman Bill Clay of the Post Office and Civil Service Committee and Congressman Steny Hoyer for their diligent work. This legislation accomplishes two very important goals in the continuing effort to reinvent government at the Federal level. First, this conference report contains the amendment I offered during House consideration codifying a systematic and managed reduction of over 252,000 positions in the Federal work force. In addition, this legislation authorizes Federal agencies to offer employees buyouts as an incentive to leave the work force. Without buyouts, reductions-in-force--RIF's--will take place across the Government in such large numbers to render many agencies incapable of effectively and efficiently performing their statutory responsibilities. Furthermore, widespread RIF's in the Federal work force will result, in most instances, in the loss of junior employees. Ironically, these junior Federal employees are frequently those Federal workers most actively engaged in the innovative work necessary to reinvent government. Furthermore, RIF's are more costly to the taxpayer than an orderly buyout process, according to the General Accounting Office. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is needed to provide an orderly reduction in the Federal work force. It will also provide significant budgetary savings and deficit reduction.”